PUBLIC sector fleets revealed differing experiences and attitudes to the Government's call to curb car use or adopt cleaner fuels. Ian Miller, corporate services manager for Severn NHS Trust, has said: 'How can a district nurse do the job on public transport when having to move between patients?'

At a First National Vehicle Contracts conference, Agenda for Action, he questioned whether the Government would make allowances for essential vehicle users in its plans to allow local authorities to introduce road-user charging. Partick McDemott, transport manager for Boscombe Community Hospital, called for a more obvious commitment from the Government to retain the alternative fuel price differential. But the conference heard there were still problems with the refuelling infrastructure that were deterring fleets.