Ageing fleet of vehicles causing a headache

REPAIRS and maintenance to an ageing fleet of vehicles is causing Dumfries and Galloway Council a financial headache. The local authority’s economy and infrastructure department – which its fleet of vehicles sits under – has just reported a financial overspend of £240,000 in a budget review for quarter three of 2025/26. The issue was discussed at the enabling and customer services committee last week, with a report stating: “The service continues to experience pressures in relation to repairs and maintenance across both the council’s fleet and property portfolios, primarily associated with the age of the assets, with the property services manager advising that the repairs and maintenance budget was fully committed by the end of December.” Lochar Councillor Ivor Hyslop asked: “There seems to be a problem with the fleet that we have whereby it’s aged and requiring a lot of repair. “What plan is in place to actually remedy this and will it have a further impact on our capital programme?” Paul Garrett, the council’s chief finance officer, said: “There’s a lot of work going on at the minute in terms of reviewing the council’s fleet. “We will bring back further plans in relation to fleet and transport as there’s not any provision within the existing capital investment strategy for further increases going forward.”