Te Tari Taiwhenua
Internal Affairs
4 April 2024
Ministerial Services
45 Pipitea St, Thorndon
PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Phone +64 4 495 7200
Website: www.dia.govt.nz
Lional Jones
fyi-request-26050-
bec5a00f@requests. fyi .org. nz
Dear Lional Jones
Request for information (OIA 2324-0715)
Thank you for your request for information dated 10 March 2024 made under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Department of Internal Affairs (the Department). You
requested the following information:
I seek all correspondence between Ministerial Services staff, and between Ministerial
Services and the Minster Responsible for Ministerial Services, around any specific
initiatives to introduce ride-sharing using VIP Transport vehicles. This should cover from
August 2017 to current. Limit to emails and briefings please.
The Department has interpreted the part of your request that mentions
"VIP Transport
vehicles"to be in relation to the chauffeur driven Crown Fleet vehicles, which are managed by
VIP Transport (VIPT).
Ministerial Services, specifically the VIPT team at the Department is responsible for providing
a 24/7 safe, secure chauffeur-driven surface travel for Ministers and other entitled users, and
managing the fleet of Ministerial self-drive vehicles.
Response to your request
The Department can confirm that we have no specific ride-sharing initiatives/policies in place
that are a requirement for Ministers when using VI PT services. However, the Department does
encourage Ministers when using VIPT services to ride-share where possible as a mechanism
for reducing cost, increase efficiency, and reduce emissions from the wider government
vehicle fleet.
Examples of encouragement for ride-sharing are when VIPT organise multiple Ministers to
share a vehicle when travelling to the airport from Parliament when they have similar
departure times, or vans that are available through the Crown Fleet which can transport
multiple entitled users or a party to an event they are all attending simultaneously.
Therefore, your request for all correspondence regarding specific initiatives to introduce rideĀ
sharing using VIPT vehicles is refused under section 18(e) of the Act, that the document
alleged to contain the information requested does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to
locate it, cannot be found.
We may publish this OIA response on www.dia.govt.nz (with your personal details having been
removed). Publishing responses to OIA requests increases the availability of information to
the public and is consistent with the purpose of the Act to enable effective participation in the
making and administration of laws and policies, and to promote the accountability of Ministers
and officials.
If you have any concerns with the information in this response, you have a right to request an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. Information on
how to do this is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Briget Ridden
General Manager - Ministerial Services
Te Haumi - Enterprise Partnerships
Te Tari Taiwhenua - The Department of Internal Affairs
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