Chauffeurs’ Waiting Time Caused Garage’s Loss

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30179, 10 July 1963, Page 14

Chauffeurs’ Waiting Time Caused Garage’s Loss

l»rc’n Our Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, July 9. Concern that a substantial part of the cost of providing chauffeur-driven cars for Ministers was concealed in the Post Office accounts was expressed in the annual report of the Controller and Auditor-General (Mr A. D. Bums) tabled in Parliament today. The report said the losses of the Public Service Garage in Wellington—an aggregate of £42,536 in the three years 1959-60, 1960-61 and 1961-62—were attributable largely to the unproductive time of senior chauffers waiting for calls by Ministers for chauffeur-driven cars.

Based on the idle time of such chaffeurs during a typical day-and-night shift in 1961, the Audit Office estimated that the annual cost of such idle time could amount to £15,000. The report said the Public Service garages in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin were operated by the Post Office. Cars and other vehicles were available for hire by departments and, particularly in Wellington, cars were reserved for ministerial use. Charges were made to the appropriate branch of the Post Office or to departments.

Operating accounts, absorbed into the published Post Office accounts, were prepared for each garage. Wellington excepted, the financial results were generally satisfactory. For example, the aggregate profit of the Auckland garage in the three financial years 1959-60 to 1961-62 was £104.215 against the Wellington loss of £42,536. The Post Office should recover the full cost of this service which would thereby be reflected in the ministerial sub-division of the Internal Affairs vote. The matter had been referred to the Treasury for investigation.