By Bill Heaney
Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today said SNP ministers must ensure Police Scotland has the vehicles that it needs, as he revealed that a quarter of the vehicles that the service relies on have in excess of 100,000 miles on the clock.
Figures acquired by Scottish Liberal Democrats under freedom of information legislation show that Police Scotland have 348 vehicles which are over 10 years old, while 754 vehicles have racked up more than 100,000 miles.
On 21 October 2022, Police Scotland also confirmed that 742 (22%) of the service’s 3,436 marked and unmarked vehicles are hybrid or electric.
Mr McArthur commented: “100,000 miles on the clock is the equivalent of going round the entire world four times over. There’s no sense in junking vehicles that are still functioning but it does raise questions about whether officers are being given the equipment they need to do their jobs.
“Carrying out police duties in decade old vehicles is just another symptom of the pressure that Police Scotland is under.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see the public sector lead the way in transitioning to environmentally friendly vehicles. That’s why we have suggested that every new vehicle purchased should be hybrid or electric. However to make this practical will require significant investment from the Scottish Government.
“It’s right that usage of police resources is maximised but officers, staff and the public don’t want to see the national force dependent on short-term, cheap or polluting fixes.”
ENDS