Pool Cars: myth busting the facts
You may have heard people say that “pool cars just sit parked all day and aren’t used properly.”
We completely understand why this perception exists – but the reality is more positive and more complex than it first appears.
Let’s bust some common myths about council pool cars!
Myth 1: Pool cars are just sitting around unused
The facts
Not all council vehicles you see parked are general pool cars. Our fleet actually falls into three different categories:
- Dedicated Homecare vehicles – 21 vehicles
- Vehicles dedicated to specific services – 41 vehicles
- General pool cars available to book – 53 vehicles
That means many of the vehicles people assume are “pool cars” are actually service‑specific vehicles that can’t be booked by everyone.
Those services pay for the vehicles and mileage returns show they are being used effectively.
Myth 2: If a vehicle is parked up, it’s being wasted
The facts
There are many reasons why a vehicle could be parked up, we don’t usually question it when we see a refuse collector, gritting vehicle or housing van is parked up, the vehicle could be:
- Mid journey - attending a meeting or training
- Driver/booker off sick
- Between bookings
- Scheduled for inspection / service
- Dedicated to a service
- Emergency standby vehicle
- Booker running late
A parked car doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t needed, been exclusively booked (block booked) or hasn’t been booked.
Myth 3: Pool cars aren’t cost‑effective
The facts
Council‑owned pool cars are currently the cheapest and most efficient option for us.
- Council pool cars: around 38p per mile
- External car club (used by a neighbouring council): around 50p per mile
We’ve also compared buying vehicles outright vs leasing, and purchasing vehicles is around 50% cheaper than leasing an equivalent car.
Myth 4: Pool car mileage targets aren’t being met
The facts
- Original break‑even target: 8,000 miles per vehicle per year
- Current target: 12,000 miles
- Recent average achieved: 10,285 miles
While this is below the current stretch target, it is well above the original break‑even point and represents reasonable performance across the fleet, including dedicated vehicles.
Myth 5: There’s nothing more that can be done
The facts
We know there is still room to improve – and work is already under way:
- An action plan has been developed with Fleet Management to improve efficiency
- We’re working with service managers to reduce:
- Block booking vehicles that aren’t used
- Holding vehicles for short trips without releasing them in the system
- Reducing grey fleet mileage claims and increasing pool car use will save the council even more money over time
The bottom line
✔ Pool cars are being used
✔ Council‑owned vehicles are the best‑value option
✔ Increasing pool car use helps reduce costs and expenses claims
✔ A parked vehicle does not mean a wasted resource
We’ll continue to share clear information and improvements as this work progresses – and your support in using pool cars responsibly really does make a difference.
Find out more about pool car bookings here.