Coronavirus Update

To all our valued customers,

At this very trying time in our Nations’ history all of us at Northgate are doing our very best in challenging circumstances to maintain service levels to our clients. We recognise many of our customers and suppliers face similar challenges.

However, we believe it would be disingenuous of us not to face up to the reality of our situation. As the impacts of the pandemic continue to grow we will increasingly be faced with insurmountable personnel shortages, supply and logistical challenges. Therefore, we must advise all customers that, whilst we will use our very best endeavours, we are unable to guarantee all aspects of our normal service provision to you for the duration of the current Public Health Emergency. Please continue to place reservation and servicing requests in your normal manner. Or alternatively email us at OneRental@Northgate.co.uk. We will contact you directly, once a booking has been placed, should we anticipate any variance in delivery or collection timings. This would apply equally to bookings of workshop slots.

Please bear with us at this time, as we do our upmost to meet the current levels of customer demand. 

Existing customers requiring support:

These are unprecedented times which are putting strains on all businesses. If you are an existing Northgate customer faced with challenges regarding your current Northgate vehicles, please contact your account manager for advice and support please email us at business.support@northgateplc.com

Our response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

In response to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the UK, which is causing much concern and confusion to businesses and consumers alike, Northgate Vehicle Hire wish to share the following information with our customers. We are continuously monitoring the situation and taking the latest advice as issued from the UK Government. We would like to reassure you that the health and wellbeing of our employees, customers, partners and supply chain is our paramount priority and we will continue to take the recommended preventative and containment actions to protect all those affected by our business activities. In order to ensure that we issue the most up to date guidance for employees and customers, we have established a dedicated Coronavirus team who are closely monitoring the situation and meeting daily to assess, review and discuss required actions.

Our branches, offices and customer meetings - Updated 30th November 2021

To help protect our staff, suppliers and customers, and in line with government advice, we require all visitors to wear a face covering on entering our premises in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland unless medically exempt.

We are encouraging regular and thorough hand washing and the use of hand sanitiser, where available. In all of our locations we are strictly following the government guidelines and latest social distancing guidelines wherever possible, maintaining 2 metres between our colleagues and our customers. We have removed furniture and spaced this out accordingly in our waiting areas and we politely ask that if the waiting room becomes too busy to accommodate the required 2 metres of social distance between people, customers kindly comply with requests from the onsite team to step outside or take a short walk in a safer area while their place in the queue is held. We also thank customers in advance for respecting the personal space of our employees and stepping back from the rental desk as requested.

Business Continuity Statement

Northgate Vehicle Hire have in place a robust and detailed BCP which covers all areas of our business. This plan includes caring for our people, and maintaining the necessary resources, systems and processes to fulfil our obligations to customers and suppliers. At this time we are implementing elements of our plan as and when circumstances require us to do so. We do, and will continue to, comply with the latest advice from the UK Government. At this time whilst we have taken actions internally to invoke elements of our BCP we continue to provide business as usual to our customers and suppliers. Should this materially change we will inform all stakeholders via direct messaging and information on this page.

Workshop events and servicing 

We are working hard to keep all Key Worker Customers’ fleet on the road as a priority and to do this we have put contingency plans in place to ensure critical services continue to be available. To maintain these services and our high standards. whilst protecting the health and safety of our team and customers in conditions that are unprecedented, we are now asking for all non-critical defects and events be deferred, ensuring priority is given to all critical events on these critical vehicles.

We have outlined what we have deemed “Critical” and “Non-Critical” Defects or Events and what to do in all of these scenarios in order to aid us all in making the right decisions. 

Critical Defects / Events – What to do and when
These defects and events have been deemed as critical

In the event of you/your:

  • Vehicle having any defect or Damage that results in the vehicle being unroadworthy or dangerous
  • Vehicles dashboard have a Red warning light on
  • Vehicle have a cracked or damaged windscreen
  • Vehicle is overheating
  • Experiencing, whilst driving concerns over noise, vibration or difficulty selecting gears

What to do:
1. Please Stop the vehicle when it is safe to do so
2. Contact Northgate Vehicle Hire on 03330 431090 for assistance (Please be mindful that some wait times may be longer than usual)

In the event of you/your:

  • Vehicle is due a legal compliance event
  • Vehicle is due any service by mileage
  • Vehicle dashboard has an Amber warning light on
  • Vehicle external lighting is defective
  • Experiencing damage to external mirror glass that impairs vision
  • Experiencing engine running problems such as a misfire or smoking

Experiencing damaged tyres, punctures or worn out tyres that are below 3mm of remaining tread

What to do:
Please contact any Northgate Vehicle Hire branch for assistance. Branch Finder is on our website

Non-Critical Defects / Events – What to do and when
The below list has been deemed at this time as less serious concerns.

In the event of you/your:

  • Having tracker concerns
  • Needing a telematic Unit fitting
  • Having radio concerns
  • Having any non-safety recall
  • Requiring signwriting/decals replacements or fitting
  • Requiring installation or repairs to ply lining (if not unsafe)
  • Requiring any cosmetic repairs
  • Having documentation requests (Unless these stops use of the vehicle)
  • Requiring additional vehicle keys (where vehicle can still be used)

Vehicle requiring Commercial (>3.5ton and Minibus PSV) MOT bookings (Due to the 3-month extensions)

What to do:
1. Please contact Northgate Vehicle Hire via email via: FMVehicleManagement@northgate.co.uk
2. We will defer and give an extended date.

Supply of parts

There are naturally concerns surrounding ongoing supply of parts and services from our supply chain but we are in constant dialogue and none of them are currently flagging any issues. We, and they, are closely monitoring developments and Foreign Office advice on travel and distribution. The bulk of our suppliers have said there is no immediate or imminent lack of supply and they are in regular discussions themselves with manufacturers and distributers. Many of our suppliers now have several months’ worth of supply in the UK. To date our service levels have not been negatively affected in any way. However, we are continually monitoring the threat, and should the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to escalate, we have put contingency plans in place to mitigate any challenges that may arise.

LCV MOTs Extension ends on 31st July 2020

Following the government communication on 29th June 2020 relating to MOTs, the automatic extension of MOTs by 6 months for all due MOTs on or after the 30th March 2020 will end on 31st July 2020. If your vehicle is due an MOT test from 1st August 2020, you will be required to have a test certificate to continue driving the vehicle after that date.

What does this mean for Northgate customers?
If your vehicle is due an MOT before 31st July 2020, then the vehicle will still receive an automatic 6-month exemption from testing. So that will mean the vehicle will still have a valid MOT certificate for an extra 6 months.

Any MOTs that are due from 1st August 2020 will need to be booked in advance and completed before the expiry date. The previous extension period will not apply from this date.

All vehicles must continue to be properly maintained and kept in a roadworthy condition and we have a duty of care to our customers and a responsibility to ensure the fleet is moving therefore we will continue to book and have MOTs completed.

This will ensure vehicles are still safe to use whilst continuing a smooth transition in and out of this period.

Below are some key points from the announcement which you can read in full here Government MOT Guidelines from 1st August 2020 

What needs to happen:

  • Northgate will continue BAU in relation to all booked MOTs – These will go ahead as planned.
  • Northgate will continue to book in MOTs in line with the current system due dates
  • If you wish to book an MOT for your Northgate Vehicle
  • Contact Northgate Vehicle Management Team on 03330 431090 for assistance and the team will book this in.
  • Or email the Northgate Compliance Team at schedulingcompliance@northgate.co.uk

Alternatively, please contact any Northgate Vehicle Hire branch for assistance. Your local branch can be found here 

Ready to speak to us?

Call us: 0344 947 1710

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