Why are police RPU fleets not standardised?
I've noticed over the years that, within a region, Police 'panda car' fleets tend to be made up of one or two standard models, usually from the same manufacturer (in my area it's Vauxhall Corsas and Astras), which makes great sense as I imagine they're purchased on a mass contract similar to driving instructors' cars.
However, the RPU fleets tend to be a seemingly random mix of cars, often including Octavias, Modeos, Insignias, M5s, Imprezas, Lancers, V70s etc (although funnily enough I can't remember ever seeing a Merc in Police livery in recent years). Why are these fleets so pick 'n' mix? Do they allow the officers to choose their own vehicle as it is effectively their 'office'?
However, the RPU fleets tend to be a seemingly random mix of cars, often including Octavias, Modeos, Insignias, M5s, Imprezas, Lancers, V70s etc (although funnily enough I can't remember ever seeing a Merc in Police livery in recent years). Why are these fleets so pick 'n' mix? Do they allow the officers to choose their own vehicle as it is effectively their 'office'?
Asked on 23 November 2016 by AW, Yorkshire
Answered by
Honest John
It's a mix of what deals can be done with manufacturers by the individual police forces, together with their experience of the performance and reliability of the cars over high mileages. I actually got out of the way of a plain wrapper new model Mercedes E-Class on the A1 on Sunday. Unliveried police cars can be any make or model with the necessary performance. I even saw someone stopped in Surrey by a black Mazda RX8.
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