A triple assault on motorists who buy high emission cars has been proposed by a Conservative Party think tank.

The Party’s Quality of Life group led by environmentalist Zac Goldsmith and former Tory Environment Secretary John Gummer wants to reward drivers who buy low emission vehicles and penalise drivers who buy more polluting vehicles.

The wide-ranging 550-page report ‘Blueprint for a Green Economy’ calls for:

• A new showroom tax on vehicles that would add 0%-10% to the cost of the most polluting vehicles and would be graduated by emission levels
• The new showroom tax would be linked to new variable rates of VAT ranging from 5% for the ‘greenest’ cars to 17.5% as at present for the most polluting cars
• The introduction of a new top rate of Vehicle Excise Duty for cars emitting more than 300 g/km of carbon dioxide that would see the VED differential between the top and bottom bands of emissions performance, capped at a maximum of £500.

Additionally, the report proposes:

• The reinstatement of modest capital grants towards the purchase of low-carbon new vehicles
• The continuation of the present company car tax scheme, gradually reducing the emissions levels associated with each tax band

• The adoption by an incoming Conservative government of a clean car procurement policy across central government, and incentives for local government also to implement a delivery strategy and effective monitoring. An incoming Conservative government should also explore the possibility of international fleet buying consortia with other EU governments and agencies.
• Replace the concept of national road user charging with simpler adjustments to the price signal designed specifically to reduce transport emissions. However, local authorities would have the freedom to pursue congestion charging schemes where they saw fit, after due consideration of other means of alleviating acute congestion.

The ideas will now be discussed by the Party but are a long way from becoming policy.

**

Company car drivers may be prevented from speeding by under-the-bonnet devices that block acceleration and gently apply the brakes.

In a bid to encourage the fitment of so-called speed limiters, businesses would be rewarded with cheaper fleet insurance and possibly tax incentives as well as lower fuel costs.

The idea is one of numerous recommendations contained in a 108-page report from the Commission for Integrated Transport, which advises the Government on transport policy.

In a raft of recommendations in the report, ‘Transport and Climate Change’, the CfIT has called for:

• New rules to ensure drivers can only buy the most fuel-efficient cars

• New cars to be as environmentally friendly by 2020 as the ‘greenest’ cars, which are currently available on the market - about 100 g/km of carbon dioxide
• Motorists to be taught eco-driving, which would reduce carbon emissions as a result of a smoother driving style involving a lighter right foot and less braking as well as reduced use of air conditioning
• More rigorous enforcement of speed limits with drivers encouraged to keep to 70 mph rather than 80 mph on motorways, which would cut emissions by almost a third
• A steady increase in fuel prices to help control emissions

The environment is at the top of the government agenda but are fleet operators really that bothered?  They may be when it starts hitting their budgets...

Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling may announce a one-off £2,000 ‘purchase tax’ on Britain’s most polluting cars in the autumn Pre-Budget Report.  An internal HM Treasury report reveals that the new tax would be introduced on all vehicles emitting more than 254 g/km of carbon dioxide.

If the proposals reach fruition, the ‘purchase tax’ would be paid by the initial buyer of the new car. In subsequent years owners would pay the top rate of Vehicle Excise Duty.

Meanwhile, vehicle owners who opt for Britain’s cleanest cars (below 100 g/km) will be able to claim a £2,000 rebate off the purchase price. Motorists opting for other cars would be unaffected and would pay traditional road tax.

The ‘purchase tax’ is viewed as an alternative to significant increases in VED for all vehicles except the very lowest emitters, which are also outlined in the paper.

**

Business car fleets are still failing to adjust their practices to take account of ‘green’ issues, according to a new report that claims nine out of 10 companies don’t stipulate low carbon dioxide emission models on their fleets.

The 2007 ‘Business Car Perceptions Report’ published by business and management consultants BearingPoint and compiled by Professor Peter Cooke, the recently appointed Professor of Automotive Management at the University of Buckingham, claims more than 75% of firms don’t have a strategy in place to reduce business miles, almost all of which haven’t looked at technology to reduce the need to travel.

James Rodger, global automotive leader at Bearingpoint, said: “With green issues rising to prominence on the political agenda in the UK, our research suggests the fleet industry risks being significantly out of step. Firms appear to not even be taking the basic steps to acknowledge their environmental responsibilities and review the way in which they operate their fleets.”

Duty of care is another issue being neglected by much of the fleet community. A quarter of respondents claimed management was totally unaware of the risks involved, and 39% believe duty of care issues would have no impact on their business.

More than one in 10 fleet managers are yet to publish rules for using mobile phones while driving, and 13% don’t publish alcohol abuse rules, a figure that rises to 15% for drug abuse, claims the report.

“It is surprising that duty of care falls so low on the radar of the modern fleet manager,” said Mr Rodger. “Simple risk assessment and the deployment of straightforward policies are vital, if the risk of penalties and damage to corporate images are to be avoided.”

A triple assault on motorists who buy high emission cars has been proposed by a Conservative Party think tank.

The Party’s Quality of Life group led by environmentalist Zac Goldsmith and former Tory Environment Secretary John Gummer wants to reward drivers who buy low emission vehicles and penalise drivers who buy more polluting vehicles.

The wide-ranging 550-page report ‘Blueprint for a Green Economy’ calls for:

• A new showroom tax on vehicles that would add 0%-10% to the cost of the most polluting vehicles and would be graduated by emission levels
• The new showroom tax would be linked to new variable rates of VAT ranging from 5% for the ‘greenest’ cars to 17.5% as at present for the most polluting cars
• The introduction of a new top rate of Vehicle Excise Duty for cars emitting more than 300 g/km of carbon dioxide that would see the VED differential between the top and bottom bands of emissions performance, capped at a maximum of £500.

Additionally, the report proposes:

• The reinstatement of modest capital grants towards the purchase of low-carbon new vehicles
• The continuation of the present company car tax scheme, gradually reducing the emissions levels associated with each tax band
• The adoption by an incoming Conservative government of a clean car procurement policy across central government, and incentives for local government also to implement a delivery strategy and effective monitoring. An incoming Conservative government should also explore the possibility of international fleet buying consortia with other EU governments and agencies.
• Replace the concept of national road user charging with simpler adjustments to the price signal designed specifically to reduce transport emissions. However, local authorities would have the freedom to pursue congestion charging schemes where they saw fit, after due consideration of other means of alleviating acute congestion.

The ideas will now be discussed by the Party but are a long way from becoming policy.

**

 Company car drivers may be prevented from speeding by under-the-bonnet devices that block acceleration and gently apply the brakes.

In a bid to encourage the fitment of so-called speed limiters, businesses would be rewarded with cheaper fleet insurance and possibly tax incentives as well as lower fuel costs.

The idea is one of numerous recommendations contained in a 108-page report from the Commission for Integrated Transport, which advises the Government on transport policy.

In a raft of recommendations in the report, ‘Transport and Climate Change’, the CfIT has called for:

• New rules to ensure drivers can only buy the most fuel-efficient cars New cars to be as environmentally friendly by 2020 as the ‘greenest’ cars, which are currently available on the market - about 100 g/km of carbon dioxide
• Motorists to be taught eco-driving, which would reduce carbon emissions as a result of a smoother driving style involving a lighter right foot and less braking as well as reduced use of air conditioning
• More rigorous enforcement of speed limits with drivers encouraged to keep to 70 mph rather than 80 mph on motorways, which would cut emissions by almost a third
• A steady increase in fuel prices to help control emissions

Drivers who use a hand-held mobile phone while driving could be jailed and motorists who kill could face manslaughter charges under a tough new approach expected to be adopted by prosecutors.

The potential changes have been outlined by director of public prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, following a three-month public consultation on prosecuting bad driving. The consultation was held following increasing public concern about the leniency of some sentences handed down to offenders.

The CPS policy on prosecuting road traffic offences will be officially published in the autumn. Changes are likely to include:

• More detailed guidance for prosecutors on when it is appropriate for a charge pf manslaughter instead of a lesser offence so that the correct charge is chosen from the start. The maximum penalty for manslaughter is life in prison.
• Public concerns about the dangers of driving while using a mobile phone means that a charge of dangerous driving will now be the starting point for this offence, where there is clear evidence that danger has been caused by its use. The maximum penalty for dangerous driving is two years jail. The current penalty is three points and a £60 fine.

The tougher approach to prosecuting hand-held mobile phone offenders will also cover those who commit offences using other hand-held electronic equipment while driving and texting while driving.

**

Working time lost due to traffic congestion is one of the major business concerns for a quarter of senior managers, according to a new survey. Almost 25% of HR and finance directors at a range of companies said increased congestion was harming the UK’s competitiveness.

When asked which transport-related issues were likely to affect their business over the next three years, 24% saw congestion and road pricing as a major issue, up 16% since a similar survey six months ago.

Earlier this year, research from Trafficmaster and the RAC Foundation found that 20% of company car drivers spent more than five hours a week stuck in traffic. The CBI estimates that congestion costs the UK economy as much as £20 billion a year in resources and lost time.

The impact on businesses of the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act will feature strongly in forthcoming fleet management workshops being held by Jaama.

One-day Fleet Managements Essentials workshops will be held on Tuesday, October 2 at the Best Western Weald Park Hotel, Brentwood (M24 J27/J28); and Thursday, October 11 at the Holiday Inn, Rotherham (M1 J33).

Meanwhile, the next date for the company’s popular Duty of Care and Green Fleet Management workshop is Thursday, September 27 with the event being held at the Best Western Calcot, Reading (M4 J12). .......Click here for further details