RENEWED calls for delivery charges on new cars to be abolished with all manufacturers publishing directly comparable on the road prices have been made by CAP Motor Research. Three years after Shrewsbury-based Fleet Management Services launched a campaign for delivery charges to be scrapped and two years after the campaign was given new impetus by the Association of Car Fleet Operators, CAP says the present compromise arrangements are 'confusing and should be abolished'.

CAP says delivery charges presently range from nothing to £525, but the picture is further confused for fleet operators by the addition of number plate costs, the £25 first registration fee and £150 road fund licence charge to obtain a true 'on the road price'. Following the FMS and ACFO campaigns some manufacturers moved to true 'on the road prices', while others moved to a halfway house arrangement.

'CAP Monitor - Future Residual Values', which details future values and ownership costs of 3,000 cars, takes delivery charges into account in all its calculations. However, it does not take into account either road fund licence or first registration fee charges. Backing the delivery charge campaign editor Mark Norman said: 'You wouldn't dream of going into Tesco and paying 3p on top of the display price of a tin of beans, just to cover the cost of getting them there, so why should cars be any different?

'You cannot buy a car without paying for delivery so the sensible option is for all manufacturers to follow the lead of Rover, Nissan and Daewoo, who are among those already incorporating it into list price. Manufacturers could also benefit from such a move as the current system only serves to publicise apparent anomalies.'