THE Association of Car Fleet Operators is continuing to lobby Government over what it sees as discrimination against disabled company car drivers who are forced to drive automatic vehicles.

It is urging the Inland Revenue to allow disabled automatic car drivers to have their benefit-in-kind tax treated as if they were driving the nearest manual version of the car.

An estimated 10% of all company car drivers have to consider their own disability or that of a family member when choosing a car and a concession in the March 2000 Budget said a disabled person who drove an automatic company car would be taxed in terms of the CO2 emissions of the nearest manual version.

But ACFO chairman Tony Leigh said: 'At the moment, this means that although disabled drivers' tax will be calculated by getting the percentage of the manual version, they are being penalised as the level is calculated from the automatic's list price. We would like to see disabled drivers taxed in terms of taking the CO2 emissions of the nearest manual model and the percentage level of the list price of the manual.'

A spokesman for the Inland Revenue said: 'The relevant ministries make all political and policy decisions like this. If they feel a change in the system should be made, they will take into consideration all arguments. However, the taxation scheme does not discriminate against disabled drivers and they will be at no more of a disadvantage to those who are driving manual cars.'