Fleet giant LeasePlan has called for a standardisation of the rules on in-van no-smoking stickers across the UK.
“Whereas the situation for company car drivers is straightforward, the measures in place for van drivers crucially vary between Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland,” said a LeasePlan spokesman.
In England, a standard sticker needs to be displayed measuring 70mm in diameter. In Wales and Northern Ireland, the sticker needs to be 75mm in diameter. In Scotland, the sticker needs to have text underneath it explaining that it is an offence to smoke in a van plus giving warning that a fine may be incurred.
Steve Crawshaw, LCV manager at LeasePlan, said: “It’s a ridiculous situation that’s causing unnecessary confusion for many companies with van fleets. A lot of companies have drivers that regularly travel between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so they leave themselves open to prosecution if they don’t display the right sticker in the right place and in the right way.
“A degree of common sense is needed. The requirement not to smoke in a company vehicle is constant throughout the UK, so there’s no reason that it shouldn’t be enforced in the same way.”