THE new London mayor faces a bitter battle to convince the company car driver to switch to public transport, after new research shows the car is still the quickest way to travel in the capital. The four main candidates in the mayoral election, which will be decided on Thursday (May 4), have made tackling congestion a crucial target in their manifestos.

Three have committed to introduce congestion charging. However, figures from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions show that in 1999 the car beat equivalent journeys by train by three minutes and by bus by as much as 11 minutes. Jeremy Hay, managing director of PHH Vehicle Management, said: ' 'Is it any wonder that businesses cling to the company car as an essential business tool? We shouldn't be clogging up cities with unnecessary car journeys, but businesses need to be mobile.'

Research conducted among 1,000 PHH clients showed that the car was the most popular method of transport to and from work. Of those questioned, 64% travelled to work in a company car and 31% in their own vehicle. Only 3% chose public transport, while 2% travelled on foot.