Independent service outlets are increasingly turning to Fleet Assist’s recently launched courtesy car programme to meet corporate demand for short-term loan vehicles.

Fleet Assist provides contract hire and leasing companies with a nationwide network of more than 8,000 service outlets which undertake service, maintenance and repair work on vehicles supplied to customers across the UK.

The network, a mix of both franchise and independent garages, is supported with a range of partners offering services and products at preferential member rates negotiated by Fleet Assist.

Fleet Assist joint managing director, Mike Smith, explained that contract hire and leasing companies and their customers - end-user fleets - increasingly expected service outlets to offer courtesy car provision.

While franchise garages in the Fleet Assist network typically had their own courtesy car arrangements with their respective manufacturer partners, the same was not true for independent service outlets.

Smith said: “We are delighted to be able to offer a courtesy car programme that enables garages to secure cars on one or two-year operating lease agreements with a range of mileage parameters. Since the launch of this initiative we are seeing a growing increase in independent service outlets taking up the programme to meet fleet customer demand.”

Daventry-based Road and Sport Developments (RSD) is a privately-owned garage that has recently replaced an ageing courtesy car fleet with four Citroen C1 models displaying smart company livery.

Danny Whitrow, owner of the garage, said: “Our fleet customers typically require a courtesy car so their company car drivers can remain on the road while their vehicle is in the garage.

“Replacing an ageing courtesy car fleet with a small fleet of new cars has delighted our existing customers and will, we hope, secure additional fleet business as being fully liveried they act as mobile advertising boards 24x7. Additionally, being new, they show that we are investing in the company.”

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