FOI request (FOI227613)

Pool Car Usage

Requested Tue 21 November 2017
Responded  Tue 21 November 2017

Freedom of Information Request

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. Please send me the following information retained by your local authority in respect of the following areas:

Pool car usage data for the period 2015/16 and 2016/17

1.        How many pool cars, either leased or owned, does your council have?

2.        What is the total annual spend on pool cars?

3.        What is the total annual miles of pool cars?

4.        How many regular pool car users are there?

5.        How many casual pool car users are there?

6.        What is the overall cost per mile of pool cars?

Staff car for work usage data

We understand local authorities can maintain and attribute data to more than one category of pool car user. For example, essential pool car users in receipt of a lump sum for mileage, pool car users, and casual users. For the period 2015/16 and 2016/17, in each of your local authority's defined categories:

7.        How many council staff use their own car during the course of the day to carry out council work?

8.        How many miles were travelled by staff in their own car on council activity?

9.        What was the average cost per mile reimbursed to users?

10.     What was the target cost per mile?

11.     How much did your council spend in 2015/16 and 2016/17 on reimbursing staff for miles travelled for council activity in their own cars?

Operational policies

12.     Please provide the name and/or job title of the person responsible for developing and monitoring policies on employee car usage in your council.

13.     What policies, working documents or plans does your council have in place to reduce volume and/or cost per mile of usage by pool and/or staff cars?

14.     What policy documents does the council hold on general car usage policy and associated targets and metrics?

15.     Is your local authority pursuing new methods to address major issues or needs around car usage in your local authority? If yes, please provide the supporting documentation.

Commuting

16.     What is the average number of staff arriving to work in offices or other shared places of work of the council on a weekday?

17.     Of that number, how many staff on average drive their own car to that office?

18.     Does your council have any carpool or similar commuting schemes in place?

19.     If so, what incentives or compensation is offered to encourage staff to take advantage of these?

My preference is to receive information electronically as a data set where appropriate, e.g. in Excel, not as a PDF. For your convenience, I have prepared and attached a pro forma Excel template for your convenience. The questions are compiled in order of priority.

Response

Pool car usage data for the period 2015/16 and 2016/17 

Q1 - Hastings Borough Council does not have any pool cars.

Q2 - 6 - N/A

Staff car for work usage data

Q7 - Information not held

Q8 - 15/16 - 36,676, 16/17 - 37,937

Q9 - 15/16 - 0.408p, 16/17 - 419p

Q10 -  HMRC Rates

Q11 - 15/16 - £14,999.56, 16/17 - £15,919.54

Operational policies

Q12 - Information not held - No one in post at the moment with this overall responsibility.

Q13 - Hastings Borough Council have an out of date green travel plan. We do not have a pool car; we have encouraged staff in the past to walk, cycle, use public transport to both commute to work and travel to meetings. We still administer an interest free bike loan to encourage cycling to and from work and to and from meetings.

Q14 - None

Q15 - Hastings Borough Council lobby for improvements to rail connections.  East Sussex County Council are responsible for highways and the local transport plan, please visit their website for further information: www.eastsussex.gov.uk

Commuting

Q16 - 190

Q17 - Information not held

Q18 - No

Q19 - None