BRITAIN'S fleet managers have been urged to 'save the planet' and do even more to 'green' their fleets by Transport Minister Dr John Reid. He underlined the 'critically important' role the company car must play in the nation's health.

Company cars produce only a fraction of the pollution of cars driven 20 years ago, but Reid said fleets must not just rely on vehicle technology as the route to a 'green' fleet policy. He stressed that a 10% cut in the UK's company car fuel bill would save around £450 million a year and slash exhaust emissions and that 'green' fleet methods would save the typical 400-strong company car fleet £50,000 a year and reduce that fleet's total carbon emissions by 50 tonnes annually.

A wide range of 'green' fleet advice was available at the show to fleet managers and fleet decision makers and Reid said: 'Greener fleet management is good for business as well as good for the environment. There are a number of straightforward measures which can contribute to a dramatic saving in fuel costs such as monitoring fuel consumption, purchasing more fuel efficient vehicles, driver training and more effective journey planning.

'Not only does congestion clog the arteries of commerce, costing British industry an estimated £20 billion a year, but the pollution clogs lungs and leads to thousands of unnecessary hospital admissions and deaths each year. 'Within this level of damage to the nation's health and economy it makes simple common sense to cut unnecessary journeys.'