FLEETS have called for a voice at the heart of Government through the new Motorists' Forum announced by the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at the Labour Party Conference. The forum is designed to allow road users' concerns to be heard in Whitehall.

The forum will be chaired by Sir Trevor Chinn, chairman of Lex Service and vice-chairman of the Commission for Integrated Transport. A spokesman for Sir Trevor said he believed fleets would have a role in the forum. Norman Donkin, director-general of the BVRLA, said the association would want to play a part in the forum, 'and raise the issues we are most concerned about, namely workplace parking which we believe is a total nonsense. We also want to protect rental companies from having to pay road tolls incurred by their customers.'

However, he was sceptical about the value of the new body. 'It seems like just another discussion group and the existing Commission for Integrated Transport is more the forum through which we can have a greater influence.' ACFO director Stewart Whyte said: 'The company motorist needs representation on this forum to make certain the distinction is made between political aspirations and gobbledegook from the reactionary anti-motorist lobby.'