(S3O-9408) Public Service Vehicles (Shared Fuel Depots and Management Systems)

3. Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider encouraging users of public service vehicles to share fuel depots and fuel management systems to reduce costs and spills as part of its approach to achieving climate change targets and efficiency savings. (S3O-9408)

The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson):

The Scottish Government welcomes and encourages any collaboration and shared services ventures that are undertaken across the public sector, including the use of shared depots and collaborative fuel procurement contracts by public service vehicle owners.

Brian Adam: The minister might well be aware of one public sector organisation that by taking such an approach has managed to recover its capital costs in one year. Will he take every possible step to encourage the police, fire and ambulance services to adopt that approach, which can result in significant savings and improvements not only to the environment but to safety?

Stewart Stevenson: The member makes a very good point. I understand that one fire service has made what appear to be very substantial savings through taking a new approach, and I will raise the matter in the meetings that I have with public sector bodies.

With regard to the environment, road safety will be improved if the number of diesel spills is reduced, and I will take a close interest in any technology, form of collaboration or approach to depot sharing that helps to address that issue.