Public sectors are not making the most of their vehicle fleets according to the Welsh Audit Office.
The comments follow the publication Wales Audit Office’ briefing paper which examines how well the Welsh public sector manages its vehicle fleet. The paper identifies where improvements can be made and, most importantly, highlights examples of good practice for organisations to learn from.
In all, the Welsh public sector operates around 16,000 vehicles which, in the last financial year, cost over £200 million to run. The main areas of expenditure are fuel, leases and hire, repairs and maintenance.
The briefing makes a number of recommendations to the Welsh public sector around more effective joint working, environmental considerations, better procurement and ensuring value for money. It also makes recommendations to the Welsh Assembly Government to provide further incentives and direction to help the Welsh public sector work together more effectively in Fleet Management.
The Auditor General for Wales, Jeremy Colman, said:
“It is essential that the public sector manages it fleet resources effectively, particularly in this current climate of rising fuel costs and tight budgets. This guide draws out some important findings from the work we carried out at 50 public sector bodies in Wales, and the lessons learned are applicable to a much wider audience.”
Some good examples of fleet management discovered by the briefing paper include;
- Denbighshire County Council has installed accident kits in 100 of its vehicles which have significantly reduced the time taken to process insurance claims.
- North Wales Police Force has made efficiency savings by ensuring that an optimum residual value is obtained when disposing of a vehicle.
In addition, Wales Audit Office has launched a Good Practice Exchange guide to Fleet Management on its website, which can be found by clicking here.
