HONOLULU - The City and County of Honolulu is launching a consolidated motor pool pilot program by the Department of Facility Maintenance (DFM) to increase utilization and better manage the use and maintenance of City vehicles, according to a release from the agency.

To make government more efficient, Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle has urged all departments to find ways to save money and streamline their respective operations.

"This pilot program will help monitor the City's use of vehicles and how they are maintained," Carlisle said. "By better managing these resources, we can also help the environment."

The first phase of the pilot program begins August 11, with passenger vehicles to be consolidated into one motor pool managed by DFM. The pilot motor pool fleet will be comprised of 44 vehicles from DFM and the departments of Budget and Fiscal Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, Transportation Services, and Customer Services.

An automated reservation system will be used by City employees to reserve, check out, and return vehicles, enabling DFM to track vehicle usage. This automated feature will use the City's existing security systems, reducing the cost of implementing the pilot program.

 "The goal is to become more efficient and cost-effective," said Westley Chun, DFM director. "We hope to expand our consolidated motor pool program to include other City departments."

When the program is fully implemented, DFM expects to see a reduction in the number of passenger vehicles currently in its fleet through improved utilization and lower maintenance costs. The program's second phase is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2012, according to the release.