THE potential cost and environmental benefits of running its vehicle fleet on liquefied petroleum gas is to be investigated by Milton Keynes Council. It is advertising to replace five diesel-powered Ford Fiesta cars in its waste and energy management department with dual-fuel vehicles.

If they provide the economies and environmental benefits the council is looking for, the plan is to change all its 455-vehicle fleet - which includes about 60 cars and vans - to LPG/petrol. Transport manager Graham Uppington said: 'The vehicles would be used by the department involved in monitoring and recycling, which fits in nicely with the council's wish to be more environmentally proactive.'

The vehicles the council wants must have 1.4-litre or similar engines and be based on car-derived or Combo size vans. The current vehicles clock up around 10,000 miles each on stop-start journeys around the city. Milton Keynes runs vehicles on four- to six-year contracts through companies such as JCB Finance and Sovereign Finance. Maintenance is carried out in-house and the council will monitor the LPG-powered cars' efficiency.