Government plagued by broken-down vehicles

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21: More than 90 Government vehicles are out of service, according to figures released yesterday.

The vehicles range from garbage trucks and trailers to light vans and small hatchbacks.

The figures, accurate to February 1 this year, were revealed in written answers to questions posed by OBA Senator Michael Fahy.

The Works and Engineering Department and the Parks Department had the most vehicles out of use. Works and Engineering had 36 vehicles out of service, while the Parks service had 26 vehicles off the road.

The figures also revealed that Government Ministers and senior civil servants have a fleet of 23 cars between them. Government departments have a total of 237 cars registered to them for use by employees, ranging from class A to class H.

The police service has the most cars, a total of 105, with Works and Engineering accounting for 53 of the Government-registered cars.

Sen. Fahy said he had asked the questions to get an idea of the size and type of vehicles in use, and to identify areas where money could be saved.

He added: “It’s a vast number of vehicles which are out of service. It seems to be an awful lot. Certainly, at the Government Quarry there are a number of vehicles sitting there.”

Sen. Fahy said of the 237 cars spread across Government:  “A lot of the cars are police cars, but it still seems to be a huge number of vehicles. Getting these numbers will help us to understand where cuts could be made.”

Sen. Fahy said that 23 cars used by Cabinet and top civil servants was “a demonstration that Government is not leading by example and cutting back”.

He added: “We think there should be a car pool for the use of Government Ministers. It seems like a small point, but it’s a sign of a Government which has lost touch and an indicator of where money is being spent which, frankly, doesn’t need to be spent.”

No one from the Ministry of Public Works was available for comment today.