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Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Driving examiners given mental health support to cope with furious learners
Driving examiners are being offered mental health support to cope with angry learners forced to wait months for a test. One hundred 'mental health first aiders' have been trained to help relieve the 'pressures' on staff grappling with the issues in Britain's driving test system, which has seen waiting times reach a record high. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said the initiative was a 'particularly important' resource for staff during ' this challenging period '. However, the revelations prompted backlash from campaigners, who said the taxpayer-funded agency should focus on lowering waiting times first. The TaxPayers' Alliance called for the Government to abolish the quango and contract driving tests out to the private sector. Loveday Ryder, the chief executive of the DVSA, praised the mental health project as an 'important' resource for staff under pressure. In her introduction to the DVSA's annual report, she said: 'Our commitment to colleague wellbeing was reflected in the launch of our comprehensive mental health strategy, which included training over 100 mental health first aiders across the organisation. 'This initiative has been particularly important given the pressures our colleagues have faced while working to reduce waiting times and meet customer expectations.' Nick Bitel, the DVSA's non-executive chairman, also hailed the agency's environmental achievements, pointing out that it reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent since 2017-18. However, the report went on to confirm that the DVSA had missed its 'key target' to slash waiting times for practical tests, blaming a lack of examiners and rise in demand. The average wait time stood at around 22 weeks in March, up from 16 the previous year. The report said: 'We acknowledge, with regret, that these prolonged waiting times are negatively impacting our customers. 'This area of work is our number one priority.' 'The DVSA are a disgrace' As of February, only 14 centres had waiting times at or below seven weeks, which is the DVSA's nationwide target for the end of the year. Elliot Keck, the head of campaigns at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'The DVSA are a disgrace and bring shame to the whole of the public sector. 'They are completely unable to deliver their core objective, yet still have the gall to boast about their achievements on reducing emissions and improving staff access to mental health services. 'Labour needs to be radical with this failing quango and at minimum should be completely clearing out senior management. Ideally they would be abolishing the body entirely and instead contracting out driving tests to the private sector.'
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Renault to stop using leather interiors after talks with PETA
A major French car maker has committed to eliminating the use of animal leather interiors across its entire range by the end of the year in a move that will make vegans very happy indeed. While the decision, confirmed by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), will see Renault ditch animal leather options from its global car line-up in a few months' time, it has already stopped offering leather seats and steering wheels to UK customers. 'True luxury is free from cruelty – and Renault understands that. By refusing to work with leather, Renault is helping save animal lives, reduce its environmental impact, and prove that compassion and innovation go hand in hand,' PETA's vice president of corporate projects, Yvonne Taylor, said. The international animal rights organisation estimates the global leather trade is responsible for the death of one billion animals every year. It adds that three cow or bull hides are used per car cabin. But not every car manufacturer is taking this vegan-friendly direction. A PETA study carried out last year listed the brands that currently use leather-alternative materials but also highlighted those sticking with traditional hides. Find out which brands aren't appeasing the vegans below... The animal rights group has taken aim at the motor industry's continued use of leather, claiming it is a highly polluting part of the manufacturing process. While it suggests three cow hides are used for a typically medium-size family car, bigger luxury models can require up to 15 animal skins in total. 'Due to the thicker hides used, non-vegan car interiors tend to have an even worse environmental impact than fashion items made from animal skins,' PETA says. 'Transforming animal hides into leather requires up to 170 chemicals (including cyanide, chromium, and coal-tar derivatives), which are toxic to human tannery workers and poison waterways. One report also linked leather car interiors to illegal land clearing and biodiversity loss,' it added. The organisation noted a range of new Renault models have already axed leather. The Renault 5 E-Tech Electric , Symbioz and Rafale all feature seats made from eco-friendly fabrics made with recycled plastic waste from landfill and other recycled textiles. However, vegans in the UK will be pleased to hear that Renault has been selling new cars with sustainable alternative upholsteries for years with a selection of organic and recyclable materials coming as standard. It's only in foreign markets that the French firm still offers animal leather cabins. And Renault isn't the only brand to offer vegan-friendly cabins. Abarth, BYD, Citroen, Dacia, Fiat, Jeep, Mini, Peugeot, Polestar, Smart, Vauxhall and Volvo largely offer leather-alternative interiors across the majority of their ranges, according to PETA's European Vegan Car Interior Survey last year. Tesla failed to respond to the group's request for information, but This is Money can confirm it uses synthetic, high-quality vegan leather across its vehicle line-up. Some BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz passenger cars also have non-animal leather as standard, despite being luxury brands consumers would typically associate with the premium material. That said, no new models are entirely animal product free... For instance, tyres and other interior materials typically contain tallow - rendered animal fat, traditionally from beef or mutton suet, that has been processed to remove impurities and moisture. Other lubricants used in all cars also include animal fat as an ingredient. And some brands utilise obscure animal products in ways you likely wouldn't imagine. For instance, during the painting process of Minis, each car is feather-dusted using female ostrich feathers. Mini says it only uses those that have been shed naturally (which occurs once a year) and they are a 'sustainable tool' to remove traces of dust right before the colour paint layer is applied to guarantee a perfect finish. But some brands are still sticking with leather interiors, including premium marques such as Audi, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Bentley Motors last year became the first automotive member of Leather Naturally - a non-government organisation dedicated to promoting the use of certified, properly-sourced leather as a natural by-product of a responsible circular economy. The move will see Bentley use leathers made from hides that are a by-product of the food industry, therefore supporting a responsible, circular economy. Such materials would otherwise be turned into waste. Marc Stang, Bentley's in-house leather expert, said: 'Leather is a timeless, luxury material that has always epitomised the elegance, durability and quality of a hand-crafted Bentley interior. 'It has a rich history that dates back decades in our cars and has always stood the test of time.' Here's a list of brands that told PETA they don't offer vegan-friendly animal leather alternatives in the new models... yet.
Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
The £60m shift: How Carwow and Airwallex are redefining trust in online car sales
When the team at London-headquartered Carwow launched their daily online auctions in 2021, they solved one half of the automotive marketplace equation: connecting private car sellers with trusted dealers through a digital platform. But as transaction volumes grew, reaching over £3 billion in sales, a critical experience gap emerged in their otherwise streamlined process. "Payments were happening off-platform," explains Will Morgan, Head of Product at Carwow. "Dealers were manually transferring funds. Sellers were waiting for confirmations. Clearing finance took time and paperwork. It created risk, frustration, and delay." The solution would fundamentally reshape how high-value transactions work in digital marketplaces. By embedding Airwallex's financial infrastructure directly into their platform as a white labelled solution, Carwow has - in just a matter of weeks - moved over £60 million in transactions into a unified digital flow. And in doing so, created a blueprint for how embedded finance can transform traditional industries. The Hidden Engine of Digital Trust For most dealers, payments represent the most vulnerable moment in any online transaction. In automotive sales, where average transaction values run into thousands of pounds, this anxiety intensifies dramatically. Traditional banking processes amplify these concerns: manual transfers introduce delays, off-platform payments create tracking difficulties, and fragmented systems leave both buyers and sellers uncertain about transaction status. "We asked ourselves: What's the best way for us to build trust on both sides of the transaction?" says Will Morgan, Head of Product at Carwow. "What if the entire transaction--from auction to payment--could all happen inside the Carwow platform?" The answer lay not in improving existing payment processes, but in reimagining them entirely. Rather than directing dealers to external banking systems, Carwow would create an integrated financial layer that operated seamlessly within their existing user experience. Engineering Seamless Transactions The technical implementation reveals why embedded finance represents more than incremental improvement. Through Airwallex's infrastructure, Carwow created digital wallets that operate entirely within their platform ecosystem. Dealers can fund purchases, trigger payments, handle negative equity settlements, and clear finance arrangements without ever leaving Carwow's interface. For sellers, the transformation is equally significant. Instead of waiting for manual bank transfers and chasing payment confirmations, they receive immediate transaction updates through Carwow's existing communication channels. The entire process--from successful auction to payment completion--operates as a single, auditable digital flow. "It's not just operationally smoother," Morgan notes. "It's structurally different. We've taken a fragmented process and turned it into a single, secure digital journey--from start to finish." Proving the Business Case The partnership's impact extends beyond user experience improvements. Since implementation earlier this year, over £60 million in transactions that previously occurred through external banking systems are now processed through Carwow's integrated platform, according to data provided by Carwow. The company reports a 52% year-over-year increase in revenue from its auction platform, and a 103% increase in dealer offers placed, suggesting embedded payments unlock broader marketplace engagement. "The early uptake has been substantial," Morgan observes. "We've moved high-value transactions that used to happen off-platform into our secure, instant system--at considerable scale." This volume represents more than operational efficiency gains. By maintaining transaction oversight throughout the entire process, Carwow can provide enhanced transparency, faster dispute resolution, and improved regulatory compliance--benefits that compound as transaction volumes increase. The Embedded Finance Advantage Immy Spence, VP Commercial EMEA at Airwallex, positions the Carwow integration within a broader industry transformation. "We're seeing disruptor platforms increasingly embed financial services to create seamless, trusted, and verticalised experiences that were previously unimaginable with traditional banking methods." The approach addresses fundamental marketplace challenges that extend well beyond automotive sales. Whether in travel booking, e-commerce transactions, or B2B wholesale operations, the principle remains consistent: embedded financial infrastructure can eliminate friction points that traditional banking systems cannot adequately address. For Carwow's 20,000 monthly vehicle listings and network of trusted dealers, embedded payments provide competitive differentiation in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Dealers experience faster stock acquisition cycles, while sellers benefit from immediate payment confirmation--advantages that encourage continued platform usage. Lessons for Digital Marketplaces The Carwow-Airwallex partnership highlights broader principles applicable across digital marketplace operations. High-value transactions, in particular, benefit from embedded financial infrastructure, where trust concerns and payment delays create significant user friction. Traditional payment processes--characterised by platform exits, manual procedures, and fragmented user experiences--represent structural obstacles to marketplace growth rather than mere operational inefficiencies. Embedded finance solutions address these challenges at the architectural level, creating integrated experiences that feel native to the platform rather than bolted-on additions. "This isn't just a feature--it's a new foundation," Morgan explains. "We've redefined our car-changing experience. It's simpler, safer, and built for a modern, digital automotive marketplace." The Infrastructure Behind Innovation The technical capability that enables such integration represents a significant shift in financial services architecture. Airwallex's embedded finance solutions allow platforms to offer banking-grade security and regulatory compliance while maintaining complete control over user experience design and transaction flows. This infrastructure approach enables platforms like Carwow to compete more effectively against traditional automotive sales channels by offering superior transaction experiences. Rather than directing users to external systems that dilute brand engagement, embedded solutions keep transactions within the platform ecosystem while meeting all regulatory requirements. Scaling Digital Trust As Carwow approaches £100 million in embedded transaction volume, according to company data, their experience suggests embedded finance may become standard infrastructure for high-value digital marketplaces. The combination of enhanced user experience, improved operational efficiency, and stronger regulatory oversight creates compelling business advantages that traditional payment processing cannot match. For marketplace operators across industries, the Carwow case study demonstrates how embedded financial infrastructure can transform operational challenges into competitive advantages. By eliminating friction points that users previously accepted as inevitable, platforms can create differentiated experiences that drive increased engagement and transaction volumes. The automotive sector's digital transformation continues accelerating, but Carwow's embedded finance implementation suggests the most significant innovations may occur not in vehicle technology, but in the financial infrastructure that makes digital car sales possible at scale.
