PUBLICATION of a white paper on an integrated transport policy may not end the waiting game for fleet managers wanting guidance for their fleet buying policy. The much-delayed document will give a framework for future policy, but actual Government measures will have to follow debate in Parliament and a 'thrashing out' of proposals into definite action.

It will add to the problems of fleet managers who have been holding back on purchasing new vehicles in the hope of gaining some guidance from the Government when the white paper is published. With Parliament set to go into recess shortly after the white paper is presented and reports that the Government is still divided on the best action to take, fleet buyers and decision makers are set for a long wait before they find out what they should be doing with their fleets.

A Government spokeswoman said: 'The white paper will set out a framework for the way forward and will suggest areas where work is necessary. It will give the broad principal of the way forward and what is going to happen, but not how. However, just because something does not appear fully-thrashed in the white paper does not mean it will not happen. The details will have to come later.'