Congestion tops list of business driver bugbears
Congestion rather than cost has been identified as the biggest concern for business drivers.
According to a new survey by Venson Automotive Solutions, 59% of those who drive for work said they are travelling more than last year and 28% said traffic congestion was their main frustration compared to 16% who cited costs.
The findings come following data finding that overall traffic levels in Great Britain have risen above pre-pandemic levels, while the average delay on local A roads for the year ending March rose to 43.4 seconds per vehicle per mile.
Venson is now encouraging fleet operators to treat congestion as an operational issue that can be actively managed, rather than regarding it as an unavoidable part of business travel.
It suggests businesses may benefit from reviewing whether every journey needs to take place in person, and using real-time traffic and roadworks information when it does. It also advises scheduling discretionary travel outside peak congestion periods where possible
Simon Staton, client management director at Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “Business drivers aren’t against travel itself, but they are becoming increasingly frustrated by inefficiency. Fleets need to put measures in place to manage that, keeping a check on how congestion is affecting operations.
“Tracking time spent in traffic as a key performance indicator, alongside cost, safety and vehicle utilisation metrics, can help businesses understand the true operational impact of congestion. Once that impact becomes visible, fleet operators are in a much stronger position to take action.”
