A RADICAL shake-up in the operation of one of the world's largest fleets - Motability - will create the UK's biggest contract hire operation next spring. Amid widespread concern from vehicle manufacturers, Motability is planning to take responsibility for the maintenance management and residual value risk on its expanding fleet of 350,000 cars.

The disabled motoring charity gave manufacturers six months' notice in August that its operational subsidiary Motability Finance (MFL) would start to take in-house control of its colossal fleet, implementing plans outlined in a confidential document entitled 'Motability: MFL's Maintenance and Residual Value Proposals'. This will see MFL centralise its operation and run its fleet along identical lines to other contract hire companies, paying on use for maintenance, and bearing responsibility for remarketing vehicles at the end of their contract life.

Critics of its plans would prefer to maintain the status quo, fearing that concentrating responsibility for the disposal of more than 120,000 cars per year in the hands of one company will distort the used car market and damage residual values.