Vehicle tyre replacement policy: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/17/02088
Date received: 18th September 2017
Date responded: 26th September 2017

Information requested

You asked for information relating to the policy the Scottish Government has in relation to replacement vehicle tyres.

Response

The information requested is provided below.

The SG operates a fleet of pool vehicles. A breakdown of the fleet is provided in the table below.

Vehicle category	Number on fleet
Cars	149
Vans	22
4x4	25
Minibus	1
HGV	2
Total	199

SG fleet tyre policy and guidance:

Our policy is to replace tyres on official vehicles when the tread depth is below 3mm.

When replacing tyres, our policy is to fit premium tyres (whenever possible).

When it is necessary to replace all tyres on a vehicle, we try (wherever possible) to fit all weather tyres (when not fitted at time of purchase).

Operating departments also have the option to fit cold weather tyres.

We do not operate any vehicles that provide emergency response. We do however operate a limited number of vehicles that occasionally operate off road. Tyres on these vehicles are replaced in line with our tyre replacement policy.

Before using an official vehicle staff are required to refer to our pool car guidance.

The guidance states: "Tyres - check for under or over-inflation and for signs of wear and tear especially in the sidewall. A tyre tread depth of 1.6mm is the legal minimum requirement, however the SG policy is to replace tyres once tread depth is below 3mm. Tyre pressures are available in the vehicle manufacturers manual"

This guidance also states that before using an official vehicle staff should read the Vehicle Pre-use Checklist fitted inside the vehicle and complete a Vehicle Safety Checklist Prior to driving the vehicle. Both checklists state the legal limit of 1.6mm.

Externally managed cars (hire cars):

The SG has access to a car hire contract for staff to hire cars when official pool vehicles are unavailable.

The suppliers policy is they will check the tyres before every hire and replace when the tread depth is 3mm or below.

The supplier has two separate policies in place regarding tyre replacement choice.

For owned vehicles they replace with budget tyres and non-owned vehicles operate under "like for like" replacement.

Private vehicles:

We do not presently have a tyre policy in place regarding the use of personal vehicles in connection with work.

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