11.1
Objective
- ensure that those
who are conducting government business use the most appropriate and
cost-effective mode of transportation that is available
11.2
General
Common modes of transportation
include public transportation, privately owned vehicles, government vehicles,
rental vehicles and chartered aircraft (in a limited set of circumstances).
Treasury Board Directive 3/98 authorized the establishment of a fleet
management services arrangement between government and the private sector.
The Purchasing Services,
Ministry of Labour and Citizen's Services provides guidelines on the use
of various types of transportation.
Roles and Responsibilities
The director, Purchasing
Services, Common Business Services, is the contract manager for government's
vehicle agreements with PHH Vehicle Management Services (PHH). Purchasing
Services provides advice to Treasury Board and ministries on transportation
policies and management practices for:
- vehicle fleet planning,
management, utilization, registration and licensing;
- acquisition, disposal,
inspection and maintenance; and
- clean technology
vehicles, alternative fuels and innovations in vehicle technology.
Purchasing Services
also advises ministries regarding Master Standing Offers for the rental
of light vehicles for periods ranging from 30 to 365 days.
Ministry Fleet Coordinators
manage each ministry's vehicle fleet, including:
- communicating vehicle
management policies and procedures within the ministry;
- ensuring that ministry
vehicles are appropriately assigned, utilized and managed;
- developing the
ministry fleet plan; and
- acting as the ministry
contact with PHH and Purchasing Services.
PHH provides fleet
management information, including vehicle inventory.
The Risk Management
Branch, Ministry of Finance, advises Treasury Board, Purchasing Services
and ministries on policies and management practices related to vehicle
insurance and accident reporting.
11.3
Policy
11.3.1
General
- An employee conducting government business must use the most cost
effective and appropriate mode of transportation choosing from public
transportation, use of a private, government or rental vehicle. Public
transportation includes buses, taxis, ferries, trains, commercial flights
and certain charter flights.
- Use of a privately owned vehicle is to be considered where public
transportation or a rental vehicle is not appropriate or cost-effective.
- A government vehicle may be considered for use when public transportation
or a privately owned vehicle is not available or cost-effective. (See
also Government Vehicles, policy
2, this chapter.)
- The type of vehicle and the period of time that it is required determine
whether a ministry may rent, lease or purchase the vehicle. Light vehicles
must comply as follows:
- less than 30 days – rented from rental companies holding
a Daily Rental Master Standing Offer issued by the Purchasing Services;
- more than 30 days and less than 365 days – rented from a
rental company holding a Monthly Rental Master Standing Offer issued
by the Purchasing Services; and
- more than 365 days – leased from PHH.
For more information for light vehicles and other types of vehicles,
refer to Purchasing
Services .
- Group transportation alternatives (e.g., ride sharing, government
or rental vans/buses, group airfare rates) must be considered over individual
vehicle travel for groups of employees who are required to travel to
the same business location.
- Ministries must ensure that all vehicles, including daily rentals
and privately owned vehicles, are suitable for the intended purpose
and use. Government vehicles must be properly maintained and defects
corrected promptly.
- The vehicle operator must pay parking fines, traffic violation fines,
and impoundment and towing fees when driving a privately owned, government,
rented or leased vehicle on government business.
11.3.2
Privately Owned Vehicles
- Government employees are reimbursed for
mileage costs for privately owned vehicles such as automobiles,
sport utility vehicles and light trucks, but not bicycles. Generally,
when daily travel exceeds approximately 150 kilometres (or 13,000 kilometres
annually), a leased government vehicle becomes more cost-effective and
should be used.
- Ministries must not use employees' privately owned aircraft or boats.
Ministries must use recognized commercial or licensed charter companies
for all employee transportation in aircraft or boats.
- The vehicle operator is responsible for purchasing insurance coverage
that is adequate for the vehicle's use (e.g., private vehicles must
be covered for business purposes). Ministry expense authorities must
ensure that valid third party liability coverage has been obtained and
rated business use for vehicles that are used for business purposes
for more than six (6) days per month.
- Government employees may voluntarily use a privately owned bicycle
for government business travel provided:
- the
employee wears an approved helmet (i.e., ASTM, ANSI or SNELL) and
are encouraged to take a cycling safety course or read approved instructional
material (i.e., Bike Sense, The British Columbia Bicycle Operators
Manual") Bike
Sense.
- the bicycle is
in good working order and employees have adequate insurance should
their bicycle be lost, stolen or damaged during business travel; and
- commuting time
is comparable to other means of travel (i.e., motor vehicle, public
transit).
- Damage to an employee's privately owned vehicle is reimbursable if
the damage occurs in the course of government business:
- as a result of an accident; or
- by a ward or client of the province.
In general, the
ministry must reimburse the employee the lesser of the costs of repairing
the vehicle or the cost of the vehicle's insurance deductible. The government
will not pay any additional insurance premiums arising from the loss
of safe driver discounts resulting from an accident. See the BC Public
Service Agency's Appendix 1, section 4, Vehicle
Damage Reimbursement for reimbursable costs.
Procedure
Requirements - C.5
11.3.3
Government Vehicles
The government's fleet
of vehicles is intended for use wherever it is the most appropriate and/or
cost-effective mode of transporting employees and delivering programs.
The fleet is comprised of vehicles that are leased, owned or rented for
more than 30 days. Government vehicles are insured through the Insurance
Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) for public liability and are self-insured
for fire, theft, collision and comprehensive.
- Fleet vehicles must be managed according to an annual fleet plan approved
by each ministry's executive financial officer. The plan must include
performance benchmarks such as vehicle operating costs per kilometre,
a vehicle disposal and replacement schedule, and total projected operating
costs.
- Fleet vehicles must be pooled within the ministry
rather than assigned to an individual employee on a continuous basis.
The executive financial officer or designate can authorize the assignment
where the employee:
- travels more than 13,000 kilometres on government business annually;
or
- requires a vehicle for the performance of job duties for which
the use of a pool vehicle is inappropriate or not feasible.
- Fleet vehicles may be used on a seasonal basis, but only when this
is the most economical option. The costs of seasonal use of vehicles
must be evaluated annually by the program manager based on information
available from the Purchasing Services and PHH.
- All drivers of government vehicles must hold a valid BC driver's licence
for the type of vehicle. A contractor must have written authorization
from the executive financial officer or designate to operate a government
vehicle. The contract must contain a provision respecting the operation
of the government vehicle.
- Government vehicles must only be used for business
purposes. Exceptions for limited personal use are for:
- incidental use while on travel status;
- travel during off-duty hours authorized by collective agreements;
or
- travel between an employee's home and workplace when this is a
condition of employment.
Any additional personal use requires approval from the executive financial
officer or designate.
- Operators are responsible for damages resulting from unauthorized
use of a government vehicle. Unauthorized use of a government vehicle
is subject to disciplinary action, and should be reported to the executive
financial officer for resolution.
- All government vehicles, unless exempted by the ministry's executive
financial officer or designate, must display a decal according to government
standards. Refer to Purchasing
Services for more information.
- Vehicles do not have to be insured or registered if they are subject
to the Motor Vehicle (All Terrain) Act.
- All executive lease vehicles must be acquired in accordance with Treasury
Board Orders 204, 209 and 231, and the Official
Duties Expense Regulation (BC Reg 226/2001 as amended). Purchasing
Services must acquire executive lease vehicles on behalf of all ministers,
deputy ministers and equivalents.
- All executive lease vehicles must be insured by ICBC for full collision
and comprehensive coverage and for $2 million third party liability
coverage.
- Bicycles may be purchased or leased for business travel use if the
number of employees choosing to cycle warrants the costs of ownership.
Ministries must ensure the following conditions are in place:
- safety equipment
is provided (i.e., ASTM, ANSI or SNELL-approved helmets, lights and
reflective accessories);
- regular bicycle
maintenance provided by a private bicycle shop;
- employees are
encouraged to take a cycling safety course or read approved instructional
material (i.e., Bike Sense, The British Columbia Bicycle Operators
Manual")
- Bike
Sense
- ensure the safekeeping
of ministry provided bicycles; and
- commuting time
is comparable to other means of travel (i.e., motor vehicle, public
transit).
11.3.4
Use of Government Vehicles
- Vehicles that are leased from PHH must be acquired, maintained, managed
and disposed of in accordance with the Operating Lease and the Fleet
Management Services Agreement.
- Ministries must report to PHH each month the current odometer reading
for each PHH lease vehicle and executive lease vehicle.
- Where there is personal use of a government vehicle by an employee,
the value of the taxable benefit derived from personal use and availability
of the vehicle must be included in the employee's income. Distance in
kilometres that is a personal benefit must be separately shown on odometer
reports submitted to PHH to assist with the calculation of the taxable
benefit.
- Authorized passengers in government vehicles must only include:
- government employees transported in the performance of their duties;
- spouses or children accompanying government employees on travel
status;
- contractors or persons other than employees transported in connection
with government business; and
- persons authorized in writing by the executive financial officer
or designate.
- A PHH Service Card is issued for each government vehicle and selected
equipment and marine vessels. Ministries must ensure that the inventory
of service cards maintained by PHH is accurate and complete. Expired
cards and cards no longer required must be destroyed or returned. The
vehicle operator must immediately report lost or stolen cards to PHH
(1 888 681-5426) and the ministry senior financial officer or delegate.
- The PHH Service Card must be used for all purchases of fuel, lubricants
and incidental items for vehicles, equipment, marine vessels and aircraft.
Alternate purchasing methods are only permissible in communities where
the service card is not accepted.
- When not in use or during off-duty hours, government vehicles must
be parked:
- in safe and secure locations, and locked with all windows closed;
and
- at or near the office location.
Exceptions to this policy may be approved by the executive financial
officer or designate and recorded by the ministry Fleet Coordinator
for reporting purposes.
- Employees must take prudent measures to protect all government assets
in their possession. Items of value are to be removed from the passenger
compartment and secured in the trunk of the vehicle or in the employee's
accommodation.
11.3.5
Short-term Rental Vehicles
- Employees renting vehicles must not purchase:
- the Personal Accident Insurance option (work-related accidents
are covered by Workers Compensation benefits both inside and outside
of BC);
- the Collision Damage Waiver option when renting the vehicle through
a government master standing offer with the rental firm or using
the corporate travel card (The corporate travel card provides for
collision damage insurance coverage that is valid worldwide.); and
- Cargo Insurance or Personal Effect Insurance.
When the employee does not have the corporate travel card and there
is no rental outlet with a corporate
supply arrangement (CSA) with government, employees must purchase
and claim Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) when renting a vehicle.
- Employees must comply with the operating restrictions in the vehicle
rental agreement. Before taking possession of the vehicle, employees
must inspect the vehicle for exterior and interior damage, and report
any damage to the rental firm.
- Employees must not accept any charges for damages to a rental vehicle.
Refer the rental firm to the Risk Management Branch.
- Employees are expected to protect government property while in their
possession by locking and securing the rental vehicle when not in use.
An extraordinary loss of personal property may be reimbursed. If the
corporate travel card was used to pay for the vehicle rental, the loss
of personal property secured in the vehicle may be claimed. For personal
property loss or insurance information, contact the Risk Management
Branch.
11.3.6
Vehicle Accidents, Vandalism and Other Losses
- Government Vehicles
- All vandalism and theft incidents over $100 must be reported to the
ministry fleet coordinator and the local police, within 24 hours of
discovery. See also CPPM M, Loss Reporting.
- Every accident must be reported to PHH Vehicle Accident Services and
the ministry Fleet Coordinator (or his/her staff) within 24 hours. ICBC
must be informed of an accident within 24 hours when it involves:
- a second vehicle;
- a pedestrian;
- damage to the property of others; or
- hit-and-run where damages exceed $350.
The local police must be informed of an accident within 24 hours
when it involves:
- damage exceeding $1,000;
- a person who has sustained injury or death;
- hit-and-run with damages; or
- vandalism or theft of government property.
An operator involved in an accident must not admit liability and
will provide only the information required by the investigating police
officer.
- All accidents, with the exception of those involving ambulances, must
be reported to PHH Vehicle Accident Services at 1 877 874-4862. A Vehicle
Accident Services Driver’s Report may be obtained electronically via
email at bcgov@phh.com. Accidents
involving ambulances must be reported by the ambulance driver according
to policy and procedures established by the BC Ambulance Service.
- Before repairs are made to an accident-damaged light vehicle, PHH
must be consulted to ensure that:
- competitive estimates have been obtained;
- the work is cost-effective, given the life expectancy and condition
of the vehicle; and
- good quality bodywork and mechanical repairs are carried out.
- Executive Lease Vehicles
- Any accident (including hit and run) or incident (including vandalism)
must be reported to ICBC Dial-a-Claim at 1 800 910-4222 within 24 hours,
by the operator, regardless of who is at fault. A Vehicle Accident Services
Driver’s Report may be obtained electronically via email at bcgov@phh.com
and must be filed with PHH Vehicle Accident Services.
- Rental Vehicles
- All accidents must be reported to:
- the rental agency within 24 hours; and
- the employee's supervisor and/or manager, who in turn must report
it to the Risk Management Branch and the ministry Fleet Coordinator.
The local police must be informed within 24 hours when:
- damages exceed $1,000;
- a person has sustained injury or death; or
- there has been a hit-and-run accident with damage.
An operator involved
in an accident must not admit liability and provide only the information
required by the investigating police officer.
- If the rental vehicle is stolen, the theft must be reported to the
local police and the rental firm immediately. All damage resulting from
vandalism or theft must be reported to:
- the rental company within 24 hours; and
- the local police (before the vehicle is moved, if possible).
11.3.7
Chartered Aircraft
- For the use of chartered aircraft by ministers, Travel,
section 10.3.6. policy 1, must be followed.
- For the use of chartered aircraft by employees, Travel,
section 10.3.6. policy 2, must be followed.
11.4
Information and References
11.4.1
Purchasing Services
Purchasing
Services' website details government's fleet vehicle policy and procedures,
and vehicle agreements with PHH Vehicle Management Services. Topics covered
include the following:
Manual Table of Contents
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