vehicle trackers

[roofman666]

the firm i work for has informed us all,that due to new vehicle tax laws,to save employees money they intend to fit trackers on the vans to prove to tax man we dont use them for private use. is this true & is there any way i can rufuse legally to drive the van with the tracker without incurring additional costs above van tax allowance

[bednobs]

why would you want to refuse to drive the van? If its part of your job, and you refuse to do it then why shouldnt they sack you?

[roofman666]

iv worked there for over 13 years now & there has never been a problem like this before, so why now, its always been a case of give & take before now its just going to be take take on their behalf & the blokes actually losing out money wise

[bednobs]

why though? your work are saying it's to save you money from what you've written. if you are not supposed to drive the van for personal jurneys, then dont do it, and having a tracker wont change anything will it? is thre som ething you are not adding? i cant really see a problem with having a tracker if you dont use the van for personal journeys anyway

[joko]

its obvious you have been using the van for private use and you just don't want to stop.

your work have a right to control what happens to THEIR vans.
you don't think your somewhat odd refusal to allow them to SAVE you money, may sound a bit suspicious?

it is not your van - you have no rights over it.

[Trotbot]

It may be a VAT issue - companies cannot claim VAT back on the purchase of vehicles if they are driven for private use (including driving home after work). The burden of proof is on the company to prove they are never used privately.

[samuel23]

The firm I work for has had trackers in their vans for nearly two years now. There are benefits for the company, such as lower insurance premiums, better cost control and also the ability to track, locate and provide the police with detailed movements. This has a two way effect. The first is that the company always know where the van is (so if you are using it for 'personal' use they will know) but it also helps the workforce. If they say they were where they should be and the tracker confirms it there are no arguments about delays due to traffic jams, punctures etc. It can also help prove you innocent of parking tickets, congestion charges and unjust speeding tickets.

[samuel23]

Sorry roofman ~ I should have mentioned ~ two of our drivers 'refused' to drive the vans when they had the trackers fitted. The company dismissed them for refusing to do their job. The drivers took the company to an industrial tribunual citing 'unreasonable request, infringement of human rights and invasion of privacy. They lost!! The tribunual ruled that it was perfectly acceptable for the company to 'protect' their assets and monitor the workforce. So take care if you are planning to take drastic action.

[redcrx]

doesnt it also affect your own tax code if you are using a company vehicle for private use. Its not as high as a car but a van will still affect it.