Council defends driving payouts
0 Comments | Llanelli Star; Dyfed (UK), Jun 2, 2010
THE county council has come under renewed fire for using thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money to fund chauffeur-driven rides to official engagements.
The BBC’s Watchdog programme revealed the amount it spent on hire, maintenance and fuel in 2009/10 was Pounds 12,328.39 — not including salary costs.
The authority said it leases one vehicle at a time, reportedly a Jaguar XJS, specifically for business and civic use by the chairman of the council.
Necessary The council told the programme: “The two employees who drive the chairman’s car fulfil a number of other duties alongside driving the vehicle.
“The council does not record the time spent by these members of staff only on driving, therefore the actual percentage of their salary that can be attributed as part of the vehicle’s running costs cannot be quantified and is not therefore held.
“Carmarthenshire Council employs two members of staff on a parttime basis (20 hours per week), whose duties include driving the chairman and senior members to and from official functions where necessary.
“They could be asked to undertake driving duties from one day a week to most days of the week, depending on the number of official engagements due to take place. There are weeks when no driving is required,” the authority added.
The council has said previously that the chauffeur budget would be cut by a projected Pounds 3,000 for this year.