BUDGET: Epyx comment

Gary Gibson, head of customer services at epyx, said:

“For fleets, 2012 has been all about a renewed focus on cost control and reduction, ensuring that they keep the corporate bill for essential fleet services as low as possible in order to retain their competitive edge against a general economic outlook that remains very difficult, even if it does look likely that we will now avoid a double dip recession.

"There is nothing in the Budget to substantially change this outlook and maintaining an even keel in this manner seems the sensible option at a point in time when businesses are looking for stability.

"While there are the usual annual increases in benefit in kind taxation to examine in detail, including the intriguing removal of the diesel surcharge from 2016, and the first capital allowance reduction to 130g/km from next year shows an ongoing commitment to carbon reduction, there is little or nothing here that is not clearly signposted and cannot be built into future fleet planning.”