Rail users are being urged to consider alternative travel methods over the upcoming Bank Holiday, as delays are expected to hit the trains, metro.co.uk reports.

Nine million people are expected to use the rail network over the May Day holiday, although many can expect delays. Not only will the volume of users cause delays, but operational works between London and Scotland are expected to slow journeys down by around an hour each way.

New van registrations slumped significantly in March, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Registrations fell 11.1 per cent from 44,074 units to 39,167, leaving fewer new vans on the road last month, reports Fleet News.

Drivers have been given a set of pointers by the Institute of Advanced Motorists that could help them limit their fuel usage.

The list of tips comes in the wake of a possible strike by tanker drivers delivering petrol, should their talks with the government about working conditions go unsuccessfully.  

Changes made to traffic lights should improve safety for pedestrians, but could keep drivers waiting longer at crossings as a result.

The new system will be able to detect how many people are about to cross before allocating the right amount of time for them to do so.

July saw the value of used vans return "to normal"; displaying levels like those seen in May and April this year.

According to Fleetworldgroup.co.uk, the latest market analysis confirmed the news that the average value of a used van in July stood at £3,850 - only £2 less than values seen in April.

Furthermore, this figure is only £9 less than those seen in May. Despite the positive news, the figure for year-on-year values was slightly lower.

As the economy has been tight in recent months, causing more companies to work vans until they are on their last legs, it may have been inevitable that values would drop for a while. This was confirmed by James Davies, a commercial vehicle specialist.

Volkswagen has enjoyed a significant start to the year, as demand for its latest range of commercial vehicles (CVs) soars.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles announced that it has shifted 260,300 units globally, representing a year-on-year sales increase of 29 per cent.

Its most popular models were the T5 (80,416 units) and the Caddy followed closely behind at 80,101 units.

In the UK, Easier.com notes, there were 1,000 more Transporter vans registered in the six months of June compared to the same period last year. The Transporter now commands a 22.1 per cent market share, making it the second-best selling van behind the Ford Transit.

The average price of a wholesale used van hit £4,156 in June, the highest levels seen since 2010.

Motortrader.com reports that this accounts for an 8.2 per cent increase, citing a report by an online sales specialist.

This increase has mainly been attributed to a fall in the average age of vehicles available on the market - from three months to 54 months. Their average mileages also followed suit - from 2,484 to 73,578 miles.

For those looking to purchase a new van, these figures suggest that long-term van hire may be a cheaper alternative to buying until prices stabilise.

A slump in the sale of new vans three-years ago is starting to impact the availability of used vans today, according to a motoring auctioneering group.

British Car Auctioneers (BCA) said that the slow-down of sales, linked to the recession and seen in the second half of 2008, means that there are fewer vehicles coming back to the used market now.

Those that do are often older, with higher mileage and are in poorer condition than expected; all factors that may make long term van hire a more attractive option than buying a second-hand vehicle.

Duncan Ward, BCA's general manager, commercial vehicle sales told Easier.com that the three-year lull that is approaching represents a sales drop of over 40 per cent from June 2008. Then, rolling figures produced around 350,000 units compared to just 180,000 units by the end of 2009.

"What it means is that for the next 18 months to two years, there is a potential for the market to be short of 3 to 5 year old one owner used LCV [light commercial vehicle] stock," he explained, as cited by Fleet News.