Welsh public sector fleets criticised by audit office

Public sector fleet management across Wales is failing to make best use of resources, according to the Wales Audit Office.

The WAO found that most organisations do not have robust fleet management strategies and have not fully considered environmental issues

It has now published a briefing paper on the public sector fleet, which concludes that procurement arrangements could be improved through better joint working.

The Welsh public sector operates around 16,000 vehicles, not including grey fleet vehicles, which, in the last financial year, cost over £200 million to run.

The briefing paper highlighted best practice examples, such as Swansea and Carmarthenshire councils that jointly procured 12 vehicles saving over £180,000.

It also highlighted Denbighshire County Council’s initiative to install accident kits in 100 of its vehicles, which have significantly reduced the time taken to process insurance claims

“It is essential that the public sector manages it fleet resources effectively, particularly in this current climate of rising fuel costs and tight budgets,” said the auditor general for Wales, Jeremy Colman.

“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.”