Police cars to have national livery in savings plan

The UK's 54 police forces hope to save £3.4m every year through a new deal that will see all vehicles branded with a national livery.

Forces looking for a patrol car for beat officers will be restricted to buying from four manufacturers. The deal includes all English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish forces, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and British Transport Police. Currently the forces spend around £83m on 5,600 vehicles each year.

In a statement, David Horne, of the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA), said the money saved was a significant amount.

Beat officers seeking a new patrol car will be able to choose from "ready to drive" models that will need minimal or no modification. They will be able to select only certain models of Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot or Hyundai, while forces seeking a high-performance traffic vehicle - which police often use while on motorway patrol - will be able to choose from certain BMW, Audi or Volvo models. Other manufacturers in the preferred suppliers' list include Jaguar, Iveco and VW should forces decide they need other types of vehicles including motorbikes, vans and armoured VIP saloons.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC