A growing number of police vehicles in Northern Ireland are out of action, with many stuck in repair workshops, according to a new report from the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO).
The report reveals that nearly a quarter of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) fleet is over 10 years old, with up to 500 vehicles off the road at a time. The PSNI operates a fleet of 2,700 vehicles, covering 27 million miles annually, and is under increasing pressure to maintain sufficient vehicles for frontline duties.
Between 2021 and 2024, the PSNI spent almost £11 million on repairs and maintenance through its in-house workshops.
A concerning trend highlighted by the NIAO is the rise in the proportion of vehicles in workshops at any given time—from 6% to 16% over recent years.
Ageing Fleet and Delayed Modernisation
The PSNI launched a fleet modernisation strategy four years ago, aiming to reduce the average vehicle age to five years. However, this target has not been met, with the majority of the fleet now exceeding that age. Since 2021, nearly £26 million has been invested in new vehicle purchases, yet ageing vehicles remain a significant challenge.
Dorinnia Carville, Northern Ireland’s Comptroller and Auditor General, said effective fleet management is “critical” to the PSNI’s operational effectiveness.
“Meeting planned fleet renewal targets in the current financial climate will be difficult,” she said. “But maintaining an ageing fleet is also costly and risks impacting service delivery. While progress has been made, much more needs to be done—particularly around integrating electric vehicles.”
Electric Vehicle Rollout Falls Short
The PSNI had aimed to deploy around 700 electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025. As of October 2024, only 179 were in service. Operational limitations—such as the inability of some EVs to support armoured modifications—have limited their suitability for many policing roles.
Budget Pressures Affecting Operational Readiness
Assistant Chief Officer Mark McNaughten acknowledged the difficulties outlined in the report, stating that the PSNI's “profoundly challenging” budget situation has hampered efforts to modernise the fleet.
“Years of underfunding have severely limited our ability to deliver on fleet strategy goals,” he said.
“In January 2023, we warned that financial constraints would result in a reduced operational fleet, with longer delays for vehicle repairs. This report confirms that prediction. We remain committed to working with the Department of Justice and the Northern Ireland Policing Board to respond to these recommendations.”
