Courtesy charges to be introduced next year

FLEETS could face rocketing insurance costs and higher repair bills after a key area of the nation's body repairers network announced it will begin charging for 'free' services from next year.

The Retail Motor Industry Federation's London body repairers have decided that from January 1, 2001 a charge will be levied for courtesy cars, collection and delivery of vehicles, estimates and storage.

Estimates suggest that charging for a courtesy car would add £10 to the average rental bill, while collection and delivery would add up to £30 per vehicle, suggesting that fleets with high accident rates could see costs rocket.