Employers should prevent staff from using their own vehicles for business unless they can prove that their car is roadworthy and insured .
Speaking at the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Annual Grey Fleet Conference recently, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) chief executive, John Lewis, told delegates that they needed to adopt a ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards staff who were unable to give proof that their vehicle was properly maintained and insured, or give details of their driver licence status.
Mr Lewis also suggested that some organisations were paying excessive mileage payment rates, thus giving staff an extra incentive to drive more business miles. He added that many companies were looking at the car running costs produced by the AA and other motoring organisations, which are based on new cars and usually include the cost of funding, car insurance and road tax .
He said: “Mileage allowances should be based on fuel, the cost of maintenance and any loss of value through driving extra miles. They should not include these additional costs, which are borne by the owner of a private car regardless of whether they are using it at work.”