I-Team: Carcieri responds to state vehicles report

Gov. Don Carcieri responded Thursday to an NBC 10 I-Team report about the use of state vehicles.

The I-Team reported Tuesday that the state operates more than 2,800 cars and trucks. The state fleet costs taxpayers about $11.8 million a year, which includes $3.5 million for gasoline.

Hundreds of state employees who don't have 24-hour responsibilities are allowed to commute with their state cars. I-Team surveillance camera caught state Department of Transportation workers taking hour-long coffee breaks at a doughnut shop in Richmond.

Carcieri promised to reduce the number of state vehicles when he was elected six years ago, but the size of the fleet has barely changed.

"If there's ways to save money, I'm interested in saving money," Carcieri said during a taping of "10 News Conference." "I'll talk to Marco (Schiappa), to Beverly (Najarian) and say, 'Let's take another look at this.'"

Massachusetts encourages its state employees to use their own cars on state business before taking a state car.

Rhode Island has the opposite policy.