Entitled ‘Will Tax Kill the Company Car – What’s in Store for 2016’, the event was held at the home of Northampton Saints, the premiership rugby union side sponsored by Travis Perkins, whose group fleet director Graham Bellman is a FIAG founder.

As fleet managers increasingly became mobility managers, Graham Bellman said: “Fleet managers have powerful information at their fingertips and it is about acting a catalyst for the business to help influence behaviour.”

Corporate social responsibility is a major focus for many employers with emission reduction and occupational road risk management to the fore.

However, it was suggested that in some organisations a two-tier policy may have emerged where tight controls were implemented in respect of company car policies – vehicle age limits, CO2 caps and other measures including driver profiling and assessment – but similar controls in respect of managing employees who drove their own cars on business, the so-called ‘grey fleet’, were missing.

Bellman said: “Businesses must identify their ‘grey fleet’ and then establish a policy that is proportionate to the risk.”

Kevin Basnett, managing partner at Wiltshire-based Goughs Solicitors and a round table ‘champion’ at the event, added: “Performance management is vital for organisations. If issues such as emissions and road safety are not managed that reflects in their performance.”

However, despite the emergence of alternatives and the growing importance of communication, as witnessed by many employees being ‘wedded’ to their smartphones, it was agreed that the company car will remain.

Graham Bellman said: “Communication is key for today’s young people as witnessed by smartphone technology, but face-to-face meetings are important. Company cars will survive.”

Kevin Basnett commented: “The popularity of the company car will remain and not shrink. Telephone and video conferencing do work at a level, but face to face is often better; and other options including public transport are not always viable. The car is still king.”

However, Marcus Bray, a FIAG founder and head of sales at Fleet Service Great Britain, said it was important for fleet decision-makers to keep an open mind as to the viability of car clubs, car share and other alternatives.

He said: “The flexibility of such options should be investigated. As a nation we like our own space and that is provided by the company car plus we have an inherent fear of change. However, the number of car clubs and car share schemes is growing, but for their use to become widespread there must be buy-in by senior management in businesses to drive change.”