Active travel? That must mean actively spending £1million a year to travel by limo
Ministers blasted over 6-minute drive
Holyrood ministers have been criticised for spending millions on chauffeur-driven limos while encouraging the public to walk, cycle or take the bus.
The Sunday Mail can reveal £ 3.4million has been spent on the Government Car Service over just three years.
Figures released under freedom of information show the annual cost has been slightly over £ 1million between 2014 and 2017 – despite a policy of promoting green “active travel” options and public transport.
The GCS is used by Cabinet members and ministers, the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General, as well as ministers of other UK administrations while visiting Scotland.
Our investigation shows dozens of trips being taken each month for the short trip between St Andrew’s House, the Scottish Government’s admin base, and the Scottish Parliament.
The journey takes 10 minutes to walk, as opposed to a one-mile car trip that takes six minutes.
In March, at least 25 car journeys were taken between the two buildings, including six by then health secretary Shona Robison. Fergus Ewing, Rural Economy Secretary, took three trips by car. Environment and Climate Change Minister Roseanna Cunningham opted to be driven the short hop on three occasions and Angela Constance, former secretary for communities, social security and equalities, took five journeys.
Other ministers use the GCS service extensively, with many taking four and five trips a day.
Hundreds of entries on an official register are to and from the MSPs’ home addresses.
The Transport Scotland website states the Government aim is to “get more people making active travel choices for short everyday journeys wherever possible, to improve health and the environment”.
In 2014-15, the cost of the official limo service was £1,184,851, while in 2015-16, it was £1,145,521. The last available figures were for 2016-17 when the cost was £1,092,375.
The use of Government cars has been criticised by politicians.
Scottish Greens transport spokesman John Finnie MSP said: “Busy Government ministers often claim chauffeur-driven cars are an efficient way of doing business between engagements but maybe if they spent a bit more time trying to get from A to B by bus, train, bike and foot they’d realise the daily struggles most people face and investment in these areas would become a higher priority.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Mike Rumbles MSP said: “Not only do we have more than a third of SNP MSPs paid as Government ministers, we’re seeing our taxes paying for their chauffeur-driven lifestyles.”
Shadow cabinet secretary for environment, climate change and land reform, Claudia Beamish, said: “SNP ministers should be setting an example to the public by cutting their carbon footprint. Instead, they are using millions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash to be ferried round the country in chauffeur-driven cars.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The spend on ministerial cars decreased during the period 2014-15 to 2016-2017 and when practical, ministers car share, use public transport or walk to engagements.”
SNP ministers should be setting an example to the public