An Gardai Siochana, Sponsered by Toyota?

foggy_lad

Recently any of the Garda vehicles I have seen, mostly 2011 models but also some 2010 are sporting a very distinctive number plate surround advertising Toyota and www.toyota.ie.

I know this is not the end of the world as we know it but I always thought the guards were completely impartial and were not allowed advertise any company? I also thought those responsible for purchasing the vehicles would have inspected them and insisted Toyota remove these number plate surrounds whose sole purpose is advertising, and ask them to explain why they saw fit to advertise on Garda vehicles.

I have also seen advertising on other vehicles where the tax disc holders are advertising some windscreen replacement company.

Does nobody check new vehicles for such advertising and why are Toyota allowed do this? Has someone received payment for this advertising?

foggy_lad

foggy_lad wrote: »

Recently any of the Garda vehicles I have seen, mostly 2011 models but also some 2010 are sporting a very distinctive number plate surround advertising Toyota and www.toyota.ie.

I know this is not the end of the world as we know it but I always thought the guards were completely impartial and were not allowed advertise any company? I also thought those responsible for purchasing the vehicles would have inspected them and insisted Toyota remove these number plate surrounds whose sole purpose is advertising, and ask them to explain why they saw fit to advertise on Garda vehicles.

I have also seen advertising on other vehicles where the tax disc holders are advertising some windscreen replacement company.

Does nobody check new vehicles for such advertising and why are Toyota allowed do this? Has someone received payment for this advertising?

It's a reg plate holder. Who cares what it says? The Ford's have Ford garages on them.

source

foggy_lad wrote: »

Recently any of the Garda vehicles I have seen, mostly 2011 models but also some 2010 are sporting a very distinctive number plate surround advertising Toyota and www.toyota.ie.

I know this is not the end of the world as we know it but I always thought the guards were completely impartial and were not allowed advertise any company? I also thought those responsible for purchasing the vehicles would have inspected them and insisted Toyota remove these number plate surrounds whose sole purpose is advertising, and ask them to explain why they saw fit to advertise on Garda vehicles.

I have also seen advertising on other vehicles where the tax disc holders are advertising some windscreen replacement company.

Does nobody check new vehicles for such advertising and why are Toyota allowed do this? Has someone received payment for this advertising?

A question for you. Why object to this and not to the fact that the cars are Toyota branded, Big Toyota logo on the front and back of the cars. This is also advertising.

People are seeing An Garda Siochana driving around in Toyota Avensises, Avensii, Avensis'???? What is the plural anyway?, is very good advertising for that car.

[Sarcasm]Maybe we should go along the lines of Japan's national police and remove all branding from the state fleet.[/Sarcasm]

emptybladder

One of the unmarked Mondeos in Galway has a garage (Motorpark) sticker on the back windscreen. I think it was deliberately put there to make the car less obvious. Shame about the other glaringly obvious tell-tale signs!

goldie fish

There could be seen to be a conflict of interest if said garage was involved in less than legal activities.

tayto lover

Apparently the Garda change car makes every few years as they tender for the fleet. i don't see anything wrong with makers stickers on the cars. The important thing is that they are road-worthy as i have seen some in the last year that appear otherwise due to cutbacks.

goldie fish

goldie fish wrote: »

There could be seen to be a conflict of interest if said garage was involved in less than legal activities.

We only use main dealers.

goldie fish

foreign wrote: »

We only use main dealers.

Exactly.

Remember the price fixing cartel?

CharlieCroker

goldie fish wrote: »

Exactly.

Remember the price fixing cartel?

You're clutching at straws mate!

Where are AGS meant to get their vehicles serviced and repaired? any business that ags deals with that is found to be operating illegally would be investigated the same as any other business.

donvito99

Conspiracy Theories

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goldie fish

goldie fish wrote: »

Exactly.

Remember the price fixing cartel?

It's actually part of the tender process.

goldie fish

CharlieCroker wrote: »

You're clutching at straws mate!

Where are AGS meant to get their vehicles serviced and repaired? any business that ags deals with that is found to be operating illegally would be investigated the same as any other business.

Would you not think it would be embarassing for the GS to be investigating a business, while their vehicles carry advertisments for that business? Trust me that just because they are a "main dealer" that does not exclude them from acting in a less than lawful way.
Another way of looking at it is, gouger with a gripe sees all patrol cars are fixed at Joe Blogs-Main fornisstyosubishi dealer. Now he knows where to steal his next car from/engage in a bit of criminal damage.
Why make it easy for them? Just ditch the advertising surrounds.

There are clear guidelines for this, they are covered in the tender documents for all servicing contracts.(can't find them right now, OPW have revamped their website) The dealers usually know the score.

CharlieCroker

The plate surrounds say nothing but Toyota.ie. The same way it says Toyota on the front and back of the car. They don't advertise a particular garage.

I really don't get your comment about stealing a car??

At the end of the day, does it matter? AGS use a huge number of businesses, Topaz, local chipper for prisoner meals, car wash companies, cleaning contractors. Any of these companies could end up in trouble!!

goldie fish

goldie fish wrote: »

There are clear guidelines for this, they are covered in the tender documents for all servicing contracts.(can't find them right now, OPW have revamped their website) The dealers usually know the score.

And what guidelines would they be?

foggy_lad

CharlieCroker wrote: »

The plate surrounds say nothing but Toyota.ie. The same way it says Toyota on the front and back of the car. They don't advertise a particular garage.

They say Toyota on the left hand side and www.toyota.ie on the right and they are advertising Toyota and Toyota main dealers listed on the website, this is covered in the tendering process and the same rules apply to all items bought for government use. It could also be covered by some law but I will leave it for someone else to search about the legality of our police cars.

puppetmaster

"The Car in front is a Toyota"

Just be gratefull its not behind.

Zambia

Oh dear lord . . . . . If the registration holder was not there would you think it was another type of car.

foggy_lad

From the etenders.gov.ie website

Conflicts of Interest
3.6******** Contracting authorities should be aware of potential conflicts of interest in the tendering process and should take appropriate action to avoid them. Care should be taken to ensure that project specifications and criteria should be as open and generic as possible in order to avoid favouring any one solution or any one party.*

foggy_lad

Zambia wrote: »

Oh dear lord . . . . . If the registration holder was not there would you think it was another type of car.

The whole point is the registration holder should not be there!

Zambia

foggy_lad wrote: »

The whole point is the registration holder should not be there!

Ok you should write to someone really you should.

foggy_lad

foggy_lad wrote: »

From the etenders.gov.ie website

Conflicts of Interest
3.6******** Contracting authorities should be aware of potential conflicts of interest in the tendering process and should take appropriate action to avoid them. Care should be taken to ensure that project specifications and criteria should be as open and generic as possible in order to avoid favouring any one solution or any one party.*

I doubt there is anything in the tender that said the reg holders have to be blank. And besides, that is referring to the process not the end product.

foggy_lad wrote: »

They say Toyota on the left hand side and www.toyota.ie on the right and they are advertising Toyota and Toyota main dealers listed on the website, this is covered in the tendering process and the same rules apply to all items bought for government use. It could also be covered by some law but I will leave it for someone else to search about the legality of our police cars.

But they are on a TOYOTA CAR. It has the logo in a prominent t position on the front and brace yourself now Toyota Avensis on the rear.

Zambia wrote: »

Ok you should write to someone really you should.

I agree fully

Micilin Muc

AGS are also sponsored by Bic. I saw a Garda using a Bic pen once with the logo emblazoned across the side of the pen.

parsi

Micilin Muc wrote: »

AGS are also sponsored by Bic. I saw a Garda using a Bic pen once with the logo emblazoned across the side of the pen.

They were previously sponsored by that conglomerate "Oifig an tSolatháir" who had their ads on everything from toilet roll holders to treasury tags.

tayto lover

Micilin Muc wrote: »

AGS are also sponsored by Bic. I saw a Garda using a Bic pen once with the logo emblazoned across the side of the pen.

Shocking. I saw one putting Ever Ready batteries into a torch once. i Nearly collapsed.

foggy_lad

foreign wrote: »

I doubt there is anything in the tender that said the reg holders have to be blank. And besides, that is referring to the process not the end product.

project specifications and criteria should be as open and generic as possible in order to avoid favouring any one solution or any one party.

That sounds very much like they should not contain the name or website of any person or company especially when the website contains contact details of all Toyota main dealers.

But they are on a TOYOTA CAR. It has the logo in a prominent t position on the front and brace yourself now Toyota Avensis on the rear.



I agree fully

That is the actual vehicle, those logos are placed by the manufacturer, the number plate holder is not a part of the new car but an advertising attached by the main dealerships. there is nothing added to the badges on the cars stating where they were bought or advertising a website with a list of Toyota main dealers.

I would also suggest these were not present if/when the new vehicles were inspected by those responsible for purchasing as I'm sure if they had seen them they would have insisted on their removal.

Shield

Thread closed.