Catalogue description Records of the Government Car and Despatch Agency

The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) was established on 1 April 1997 and from 2002 it was an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT).

The Agency was responsible for providing secure transport and mail distribution to government and the public sector. The GCDA was split into two businesses: Government Cars and Government Mail. Government Cars (formerly known as the Government Car Service) provided cars and drivers to government ministers, and ran other people-movement services for the wider public sector. Government Mail (formerly known as the Interdespatch Service) provided inter-departmental mail and package movements, and a secure courier service for the wider public sector.

The GCDA closed on 30 September 2012 following the discontinuation of its despatch services. All Government Car services were closed with the exception of ministerial transport which, together with the supporting workshop services, transferred to the DfT.