AP Exclusive: Fewer SUVs, smaller fleet, cut Pa. government costs
6/9/2005, 4:07 p.m. ET
By MARK SCOLFORO
The Associated Press 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The state government has made good on its promise to reduce its vehicle costs by shrinking the fleet and getting rid of at least 228 sport-utility vehicles, including nine that were being driven by cabinet secretaries, new state data show.
 
The state has already saved more than $25 million and the savings will reach $40 million in five years as a result of the changes, according to the Department of General Services, which oversees much of state government purchasing.

The cut in the state fleet, which was ordered by Gov. Ed Rendell, has reduced the number of vehicles under the administration's control by 705 to 11,724, a drop of 5.7 percent. Those numbers exclude the Department of Transportation, which participated separately in the cost-cutting plan.

The Rendell administration also is keeping vehicles longer — passenger cars are not sold until the odometer reads 80,000 miles instead of the previous threshold of 65,000 miles.

Auctioning off unneeded vehicles has generated about $1.7 million, and replacing sport-utility vehicles with sedans has led to lower maintenance and fuel costs, officials said.

More reductions could be on the way as the administration considers whether it would be economical to keep vehicles until they have 90,000 or 100,000 miles, said David P. Yarkin, General Services deputy secretary for procurement.