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The fleet industry needs stronger links with the government to prevent a repeat of current uncertainty, according to an industry figure.
Phil Jerome, managing director of medium term rental specialist Meridian Vehicle Solutions, said fleets were facing confusion over several issues.
These include the WLTP, future BIK tax rates, and developments regarding diesel and electric vehicles.
Jerome said: "As a sector, we find ourselves having to deal with a whole series of issues generated by new legislation and policy that is leaving our customers - effectively UK PLC - in a state of some confusion.
"A lot of these could very possibly have been avoided with better planning surrounding the introduction of new rules or better dialogue about policy, both on the part of government and the fleet industry itself.
"For a long time, we have operated as an industry on very firm, well-signposted legislative foundations and these have failed over the last year or two.
"Clearly, something has gone wrong and it does seem as though there has been a breakdown in communication."
Jerome suggests the establishment of a forum to represent industry ideas and liaise with the government. It would sit alongside existing fleet organisations.
He said: "This is not to denigrate the work of our existing sector organisations - which do an excellent job - but perhaps we need something new that works purely as an advocate of the industry's concerns and interests.
"Certainly, while trying to sort out the current series of issues that seem to have descended on us, we should also have one eye on the future and be putting measures in place designed to reduce the possibilities of a similar situation occurring [again].
"There are a wide range of subjects emerging that come under the government's purview - from autonomous vehicles to clean air policies - and we need to make sure that the voice of fleets is heard."
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