Infrastructure biggest worry for fleet owners
Written by: Fuel Card Services, Last updated:11th August 2020
Fleet owners and drivers have been quizzed about their challenges and concerns for the future as part of a major new poll – and the findings make for interesting reading.
Leasing company Arval asked 3,980 fleets a range of questions about fleet and mobility trends for the firm’s 2019 Mobility Observatory survey.
Infrastructure and tax biggest worries
It found 49 per cent named a lack of suitable road infrastructure and the congestion stemming from this as their biggest perceived challenge over the next five years.
A further 30 per cent said tax, although these concerns may have been abated slightly this week as the government announced a freeze on company car tax.
Other worries listed included unclear government policy towards transport (19 per cent); alternative fuel policies (19 per cent); and the introduction of more clean air zones in urban areas (16 per cent).
Arval spokesperson Shaun Sadlier said: “The breadth of issues mentioned in response to this question shows that fleet and mobility managers are facing some very difficult challenges over the next few years.”
He added it is interesting that most of the issues mentioned by the respondents relate to external regulatory and policy factors and their impact on fleets, rather than the practical issues that might have cropped up.
However, clean air zones were sure to be high on the list, as their associated charges can add a big financial burden to those with older fleets needing to drive for business.
Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “This poll presents a vital snapshot of what is on the minds of fleet owners in 2019, and we hope the government takes it on board when developing future policies for the roads.”
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