If they have value to the company then how about sharing the costs of commuting? A 50-50 split seems reasonable to me. The company gets the value of those conversations, and the plebs get some help with all that fuel they now have to buy, at ridiculous prices due to high oil prices.
That is plausible. I read about the most delightfully English thing ever: we were going to have a revolution, everything was set and we were all ready to go, the day arrived but it was pissing it down, so we all collectively said “fuck that” and stayed at home. Brilliant.