Call to replace ageing Police Scotland fleet with eco-friendly vehicles

All new Police Scotland vehicles purchased should be hybrid or electric when replacing those that are decades old, it has been suggested.

It comes after it emerged that 348 vehicles in the Police Scotland fleet are more than 10 years old.

Over 100,000 miles have also been clocked by 754 vehicles.

Meanwhile, 742 (22%) of the service’s 3,436 marked and unmarked vehicles are hybrid or electric.

The figures were revealed following a freedom of information request by the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Liam McArthur, the party’s justice spokesman, raised concerns over whether officers are being provided with the resources they need for the job.

“100,000 miles on the clock is the equivalent of going round the entire world four times,” he said.

“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.”

McArthur called for hybrid or electric vehicles to be used, but indicated that this would require “significant investment” from the Scottish Government.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to see the public sector lead the way in transitioning to environmentally friendly vehicles,” he continued.

“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.”

He added: “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.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said it is supporting Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority in moving towards a more sustainable fleet.

“Despite cuts to the Scottish Government’s capital budget we have more than doubled the police capital budget since 2017/2018, supporting continued investment in police assets, including the vehicle fleet, to ensure officers have the tools they need to do their jobs effectively,” they said.

“We continue supporting Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) ambition to move towards a more sustainable policing fleet.

“The Scottish Government made an additional £10m available to the Scottish Police Authority in March 2021 to invest in fleet modernisation and £5m is included in the SPA capital budget in 2022/2023 to support greening the police fleet.”