FLEET Management Services has again attacked manufacturers for increasing delivery charges by up to three times the level of their list price rises. FMS director - operations Tony Coles said scrapping delivery charges was 'a PR exercise with no real substance. Far from scrapping charges, the cost of delivery from factory to outlet is being differentiated from the 'total' price for many cars.

'This allows manufacturers to increase delivery charges at a ridiculously inflated level,' he said. He claimed Toyota, Ford, Vauxhall and Peugeot had increased delivery charges by far more than their price.

Toyota said: 'We are very transparent with our pricing. People want charges separated out. Once they get used to an on-the-road price, perhaps we can quote a single figure.' Peugeot said delivery costs were unavoidable and customers should know what they were paying. Ford said on-the-road pricing was convenient for retail customers, but made little difference to fleet buyers. Vauxhall said its prices with and without delivery charges allowed customers to see what they were paying for.