It reveals the fleet market has grown by 100,000 cars in the last year, up to 2.8 million, and that these cars are both bigger and more expensive. Since 1993 there has been a 77% increase in the number of company cars with an engine size of 2.0 litres and above, in line with the change in calculating benefit-in-kind taxation to a system based on list price, rather than engine capacity. In addition, the average price of company cars has risen to £14,500, from £13,700 in 1994, with precious little sign of drivers downsizing to reduce their tax burden. Over three-quarters of these drivers insist that their car is essential to carry out their job.

Even if congestion doubled journey times, only 16% of company car drivers would switch to an alternative means of transport to get to work, with even fewer (12%) swapping to other transport for business travel. And congestion is undoubtedly a contributing factor to road rage, which 78% of fleet drivers have suffered.