Travel policies for sustainability and safety
Despite the increasing prevalence of the hybrid working model allowing for more virtual meetings, some business travel remains essential. However, for many businesses, high fuel prices and the increasing number of clean air and ultra-low emissions zones around UK cities, means managing this essential mobility is more challenging than ever. Employers are, therefore, assessing how they can make mobility more efficient, more sustainable and more cost effective.
According to a recent report from Europcar – Greening the Grey Fleet – businesses have increased their reliance on employees driving their own vehicles – grey fleet. This has reduced the financial burden of owning a fleet but had the negative effect of making it harder to meet duty of care requirements. It has also made it more difficult to meet emissions targets as grey fleet vehicles are typically older and therefore less fuel efficient.
Grey fleet duty of care
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 clearly states that it is “the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees”. This duty includes when employees are travelling, even if they are driving their own vehicle.
In the event of a grey fleet vehicle being involved in a collision, the penalties for businesses that have not carried out proper checks can be considerable - fines of at least £300,000, for example. Nevertheless, businesses do not appear to be prioritising mitigating this risk. Europcar research found that less than half of businesses carry out basic checks to ensure their employees are suitably covered and their vehicle road-worthy.
Doing the checks – What employers claim to do
Mandatory vehicle checks
Voluntary vehicle checks
Driving licence checks
Insurance checks
Mileage limits
Proof of MOT / servicing
Raising standards
To reduce risk and protect employees, robust travel policies that focus on enforcing minimum standards for vehicles and drivers are critical. For example, annual checks should be carried out on each driver’s licence and motor insurance as well as the vehicle’s condition and MOT status. Employers could also consider adding policies to support their sustainability goals, such as upper emissions limits and a maximum engine capacity to help bring down overall business emissions and encourage employees to switch to greener vehicle options.
A steady transition
Vehicle rental is another way to tackle the risks of grey fleet. Providing employees with access to rental vehicles – by the day, week, month or even several years – not only provides more certainty over vehicle safety and condition. It also means emissions can be reduced by using modern rental vehicles, as well as accessing the latest electric models. And it can all be achieved without having to make any long-term financial commitments to vehicles that may not be required in the future.
To read the latest Europcar Grey Fleet Report click here.
