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Government failure to manage grey fleet exposed

Date: 07 August 2012   |   Author: Tristan Young

An investigation by BusinessCar has revealed a worrying lack of grey fleet mileage monitoring within some Government departments and agencies, including shocking figures from the Health and Safety Executive.

BusinessCar used the Freedom of Information Act to request data on the number of staff using their own cars for business and the miles they drove.

Of the 14 top Government bodies that responded to our FOI requests, four were unable answer the questions because the format in which the information was held was not readily available.

In effect, these departments - Work and Pensions, Energy and Climate Change, Culture Media and Sport and Ministry of Justice - said that while the figures were recorded for individual employees, the total figures were not recorded, or that the total mileage was recorded but not the number of staff claiming for this.

BusinessCar also asked what measures were in place to control grey fleet mileage given the higher risks and less regulated emissions and costs involved. This revealed there was no consistent approach across central Government.

Commenting on the findings, David Rawlings, a fleet management expert and director at BCF Wessex, said: "I can't believe there are central Government agencies that aren't monitoring costs. If they aren't able to give the figures, how are they going to know the best way to cut costs? Where's the management and controls?

"What this research shows, is a very disjointed Government. Why isn't there a central policy to sort this out? If you look at a large private sector organisation with different divisions they would have a consolidated policy."

Rawlings' thoughts about the risks associated with grey fleet mileage were echoed by Garry Killeen, commercial leader, Fleet Services, GE Capital UK: "A safe level of is zero miles in a private car. But if they are a very low-level user you have to ask if a daily rental or pool car is a better option.

"It's about finding the appropriate level at an economic threshold."

Of those departments and agencies that responded it was the HSE that was the most shocking.

The agency reported the highest level of grey fleet miles per member of staff as well as the highest proportion of staff using their own cars for business, which, at 57% was four times the average.

"The HSE has a lot of staff claiming mileage," said Rawlings. "I suspect they have a lot of people doing a lot of short journeys. So a small, efficient car may be a better option.

"The HSE's comment suggests this too. They've got people travelling around to see companies about health and safety matters in grey fleet vehicles. It doesn't really send the right message."

Appearing to back this up, an HSE spokesman said: "Much of HSE's work must be carried out away from the office at employers' premises or at locations convenient for others.

" Business travel undertaken can be a regular feature of some jobs or an occasional visit to another HSE office in others."

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