SATELLITE tracking devices are to be fitted to all council vehicles in a bid to check staff are not making any unauthorised trips.
The move is part of a £1 million package of initiatives to cut the council's carbon emissions by a quarter over the next five years.
Other actions – such as fitting speed limiters on council vehicles and installing energy saving light bulbs in all buildings – are expected to deliver £6.3m in savings as well as reducing harmful emissions.
The GPS tracking devices will be fitted on all council vehicles, from bin lorries to white vans, at a cost of between £50,000 and £100,000.
The journeys would then be monitored by departmental heads, and the scheme would require annual operational funding of up to £100,000.
Officials claim the devices will help to save around five per cent of the CO2 emissions from the council's vehicle fleet. But union officials today questioned whether the move is necessary.
Carbon emissions from all of the council's activities, from street lighting to rubbish collection, totalled 210,164 tonnes last year, with council chiefs working with the Carbon Trust to look at ways of shaving 33,500 tonnes off this by 2013.
City leader Jenny Dawe, said: "As the capital city, Edinburgh should lead by example in actively reducing carbon use.
"The council has set an ambitious target towards reducing the city's carbon footprint to a zero carbon economy.
"A number of projects are now being developed which will not only deliver carbon reductions in line with our climate change objectives but also result in cost savings for the council."
Other measures to cut emissions and save money include the purchase of software to remotely switch off computers at night, as well as buying more efficient heating systems.
But the idea of fitting GPS devices to council vehicles has been questioned by union chiefs.
John Stevenson, a spokesman for Unison's Edinburgh branch, said: "It seems to me that the council is spending money here to try and fix a problem that doesn't exist. The misuse of council vehicles is never something that has been brought to my attention.
"I think sometimes technology takes over with these things, and you need to take a step back and see what it is actually achieving."
Other city organisations signed up to the programme run by the Carbon Trust include Heriot-Watt and Napier universities, and NHS Lothian.
John Stocks, manager of the Carbon Trust Scotland, added: "The financial and environmental incentives to cut carbon are clear. As well as releasing funds which can be better spent on resources and services for local residents, this will enable organisations to cut carbon emissions and improve their reputation within the community."
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www.carbontrust.co.uk The full article contains 468 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
