Sick parade for ambulances
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• A total of 62 Bedford CF 250 ambulances belonging to Devon Health Authority have been taken off the road as a safety measure, following an incident when an ambulance lost a wheel as it was being driven in heavy traffic in Exeter city centre.
The old-style CF ambulances form half of Devon's ambulance fleet. The CF 250s were fitted with new wheels and wheelnuts earlier this month following a series of accidents.
The accident occurred when a half-shaft on the X-reg vehicle snapped and its near rearside wheel broke loose.
Last week ambulancemen threatened a 56 km/h go-slow after fears that the county's 120 vehicles could be unsafe.
Devon ambulance service says the latest move is not connected with the previous incidents: "It is a mere precaution and obviously we cannot take any chances. A broken halfshaft is just one of those things which can happen to any vehicle," it says. • Dennis is recalling up to 30 dustcarts from councils around the country after the rear axle of a refuse truck in St Albans broke as dustrnent were doing their rounds.
St Albans district council had bought the £53,000 D-reg vehicle only months before. Another D-reg truck — purchased at the same time — was found to have a hairline rear axle fracture.
It is understood that the problem stemmed from new rubber suspensions Dennis had introduced on its refuse vehicles. All the dustcarts are to have the new suspensions replaced with old-style springs.
Jeremy Stoke, managing director of Dennis Eagle, says he has contacted all councils operating Dennis dustcarts and all the trucks have been given thorough checks.