Ambulance wheels: solution in sight?
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A PERMANENT solution to the troubles of Scotland's Bedford CF280 ambulances appeared to have been found as we went to press this week.
Scottish Ambulance Service controller Derek Buckley told CM that a stringent maintenance programme had been evolved to ensure that the vehicles' rear wheels no longer worked themselves loose and fell off.
This follows a long-running saga of wheel-shedding incidents and blacking of the vehicles by crews in many parts of Scotland. Last week, the matter took another turn when Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock crews defied trade union advice and refused to operate any vehicles. Mr Buckley said procedures have been established to enssure that wheels cannot be fitted off-centre, and to set a satisfactory torque to which wheel nuts are tightened. He added that wheels were being wired across the shoulders to show any tendency to backoff.
If the wire is broken — and it will take quite a bit of pressure to do this — this will give an immediate visual check," said Mr Buckley.
SAS has also made a policy decision to buy only 35cwt CFs in future as they have standard commercial wheels which withstand the heavy pressure on an ambulance.
Mr Buckley added that 200 of the CF280s would be rebuilt over the next 18 months to incorporate the rear wheel arrangements of the 35cwt models. "We have to do this over a prolonged period as we cannot afford to have all 200 out of service at the one time."
Transport and General Workers Union Glasgow district officer Bill Campbell told CM: "I think our lads will be quite pleased with the decision to rebuild the 25cwt models. This will give the ambulances much more stability."
But he added: "If any accident happens over the next two weeks — and God forbid that it does — I don't know what we'll do. I doubt III would be able to face our lads."