Nottingham council's mobile CCTV

[Web Admin]

These are the replies to an FoI request put in to Nottingham council.

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Dear Requester

Re: Your request for information

I have investigated your request and the answers to your questions are as follows.

Q1. Relating to the years 2009 to 2013 inclusive, please provide the following information relating to mobile enforcement vehicles (MEVs): The date upon which Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were first issued by MEVs;

A: Date of first issue of PCN by Nottingham City Council MEV: 16/04/2010.

Q2. The number of vehicles deployed by the council, together with dates of deployment and/or withdrawal as appropriate

A: The vehicle is owned and deployed by NCC. First deployed March 2010 for testing and training, vehicle replaced January 2013 with new vehicle.

Q3. The number of PCNs issued each year;

A: PCN issued per annum are as follows: April to December 2010 – 439, January to December 2011- 64, January to December 2012 – 49, January to May 2013 – 7.

Q4. Purchase price of MEVs and date of purchase (if appropriate);

A: Original Vehicle Purchase in 2009: £68,847.63. Replacement vehicle cost January 2013, £20,000 plus trade in.

Q5. Monthly leasing costs of MEVs and start date of lease agreement (if appropriate);

A: Vehicle owned by the authority.

Q6. The average monthly cost of operating each mobile enforcement vehicle (excluding leasing costs and/or depreciation);

A: Vehicle maintenance and software licensing costs for 2010-11 included in purchase, for 2011-12, £5975. The new agreement from 2012 is for 3 years at £2975 per annum.  The average fuel cost is approximately £40 per month, Road Fund Licence was zero until new vehicle was purchased; this is now £25 per annum.

Individual Insurance cost is unavailable as the vehicle is grouped in as part of the whole Authority fleet. Trained operators are drawn from our Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) team and are existing deployed officers; no additional officers are employed specifically for the mobile enforcement vehicles (MEV). Depreciation is speculative as the vehicle could not be easily resold at the end of its life cycle except back to the manufacturer or other MEV producer. It is not anticipated that the vehicle would be stripped out and sold to the general public at the end of its life. Anticipated life is 3 – 5 years.

[javabike]

This data from Nottingham Council is interesting. Low number of PCNs is surprising, what does it mean? Is the car not deployed fully OR the car IS used correctly e.g. at risky places OR the drivers in Nottingham are very law abiding?
 confused.com ??

[DastardlyDick]

Those figures are indeed interesting in that they show a steady reduction in the number of PCNs issued. It would appear that the vehicle is having the desired effect of making people comply with the Parking Regulations - is Nottingham going to be the first Authority ever to acheive the Statutory Guidance's "target" of "100% compliance with no penaltys"?

[2b1ask1]

Interesting figures indeed, it certainly indicates an appropriate usage, almost commendable based on those numbers... Just a bit odd that it only uses £40/month fuel; maybe they do turn the engine off when stationary (that'll be a first)...

[DastardlyDick]

Interesting figures indeed, it certainly indicates an appropriate usage, almost commendable based on those numbers... Just a bit odd that it only uses £40/month fuel; maybe they do turn the engine off when stationary (that'll be a first)...

Since this vehicle belongs to Nottingham City Council, as opposed to Nottinghamshire County Council, I would imagine that it has a fairly small 'patch' to cover. It would also depend on what vehicle it is and/or what fuel it uses.
For example, I have a Toyota IQ, and do about 200 miles a week in it, which costs me £35 in petrol at £1.32 per litre. I can see a $car in Nottingham doing about the same. If they use a vehicle that runs on AutoGas, which costs around 75p per litre it'll be even less!
Another thought has just occured to me - are Councils allowed to use Red Diesel and do they have to pay VAT on fuel?

[The Bald Eagle]

We will investigate this.

[2b1ask1]

Absolutely not red diesel except in tractors and agricultural vehicles and I believe they tightened up that particular requirement to exclude golf courses and grass care (parks & highway verges) from the list about 10 years ago. Councils do however buy cheap fuel and it is rough...

Long ago when I worked in parks we had some 'jungle juice' petrol (councils do dye it to stop pilfering but usually green or blue), it was so rough the mowers etc would barely run on it, we actually ended up using it to start bonfires and all it did was fizzle a bit (most of the time!).

[Ewan Hoosami]

If you are still in the bonfire business and need a useless stuffed shirt to adorn the top of your November one, I have some spare,

http://democracy.bexley.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1

[2b1ask1]

If you are still in the bonfire business and need a useless stuffed shirt to adorn the top of your November one, I have some spare,

http://democracy.bexley.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1

Many years and jobs ago I'm afraid, still never one to turn up the opportunity for a good bonfire though.... Not sure you could fit all 63 councillors on one though!!!! Bexley is not a big borough why so many ar$e scratchers???