FLEETS are turning away from the outright purchase of vehicles but instead of opting for contract hire are mixing acquisition methods, according to this year's Company Car UK survey by Monks Partnership. In the last five years, there has been a significant shift away from companies owning vehicles but the survey, surprisingly in the light of 1995

VAT changes which favoured a switch to leasing, reveals no major move to contract hire. Instead, while the number of fleets which own vehicles has dropped from 38% in 1995 to 26% this year, the trend to mixed methods of acquisition has risen from 15% to 23%.The survey also revealed that more of the 189 companies operating 116,335 company cars surveyed are set to offer drivers a personal leasing option.

Personal leasing schemes have been much talked of in the UK but have yet to take off. However, the latest survey reveals that more than 15% of the companies surveyed were investigating the possibility of launching personal leasing schemes. Meanwhile, the Monks' report, which has long appeared to favour cash alternatives to the company car, says about 70% of companies surveyed now offered eligible employees a choice of a car or cash allowance.