UK businesses lead the way in developing mobility solutions post-Covid

UK businesses are making modifications to their travel policies in response to the post-Covid rise in homeworking more quickly than their European peers, research from the latest Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer shows. Many are refining their approach to the company car fleet, in order to offer mobility services to a wider range of employees.

Of respondents who have undertaken changes (9% in the UK and 7% in Europe), 39% in the UK have introduced mobility solutions for employees ineligible for a company car compared to 19% in Europe; 37% have added car sharing for employees compared to 25%; and 38% have revised the model or mileage aspects of their company car policy compared to 29%.

The only area where Europe is moving faster than the UK is when it comes to developing alternative mobility solutions such as bicycles and scooters, with 22% having taken action in Europe compared to 14% in the UK, where no tax or regulatory framework exists to increase its adoption.

Shaun Sadlier, head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, cautioned that while the trend towards increased homeworking has potential for making changes to travel policies, it would be an exaggeration to call this a major movement.

The survey findings suggest the numbers who have responded to changes in working practices are relatively small – around 9% of the UK companies surveyed in the Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer and 7% in Europe.

“However, some ideas are being implemented. Perhaps the most interesting are around developments in mobility solutions. This is taking several forms – a move towards their adoption for employees ineligible for a company car, the introduction of car sharing, and the development of a range of alternative transport modes such as bikes and scooters.

“In two out of three of these areas, the UK is showing a marked level of enthusiasm compared to the European average. The research doesn’t drill down into why this is the case, but the most likely explanation in our opinion is the proactive culture that exists around UK fleet and mobility managers. There is a predisposition to review and revise policies very regularly,” Sadlier said.

He added that it was also interesting that the UK was taking a lead when it came to revising existing company car policies in terms of mileages and models.

“In reality, this is probably part of a wider trend. Many businesses have been redrawing their fleet policies in response to recently emerging factors, such as widespread new vehicle shortages and the arrival of electric vehicles in large numbers, alongside homeworking.

“Our experience is that this doesn’t mean that company car numbers are falling – there is actually some evidence that they are starting to increase – but that car model choice is being opened up, the way they are operated is being modified, and the time businesses spend on the company fleet is increasing. There are a series of sensible adjustments being made,” Sadlier noted.

The research also indicated that larger numbers of other businesses were likely to make their own changes in response to homeworking in due course, as many more respondents ticked the ‘considering future implementation’ box rather than ‘already implemented’.