Police Scotland has more than 250 vehicles that are over ten years old, according to figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats through a Freedom of Information request. The data reveals that a quarter of the fleet—870 cars—have clocked up 100,000 miles or more, with 126 vehicles covering between 150,000 and 200,000 miles.
The average police vehicle is four to five years old with up to 50,000 miles on the odometer. However, the condition of the fleet has drawn criticism from the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), whose chairwoman Andrea MacDonald described some patrol cars as “held together with duct tape”. She cited an instance in Kirkcaldy, Fife, where only two of nine vehicles were roadworthy two weeks ago.
Budget constraints have exacerbated the issue. The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) approved a reduced capital budget for the fleet, cutting planned spending from £11.2m to £2.9m for 2019/20. This has led to longer vehicle replacement cycles and higher repair costs, according to the SPA budget proposal.
Chief Constable Iain Livingstone defended the force’s maintenance record, stating that over 96% of the fleet is operational. He acknowledged the need for significant capital funding to address historic under-investment, adding that the force is prioritising its allocated budget to achieve as much as possible.
The Scottish government insisted that the police resource budget is protected in real terms, with total funding for the SPA increasing by £42.3m to over £1.2bn in 2019-20. A spokesman for Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf highlighted a 52% increase in capital budget, providing £12m more for IT infrastructure and mobile working, while criticising the Liberal Democrats for voting against the budget.
