Ambulances 'too heavy' for Clifton Suspension Bridge

Ambulances have been banned from using the Clifton Suspension Bridge – because they are too heavy.

Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) has sent a memo to paramedics in Bristol informing them all crews must avoid Brunel's iconic bridge. The famous landmark has a four-ton weight limit.

GWAS brought in new ambulances towards the end of last year, which tip the scales at five tons.

The new emergency vehicles are fitted with additional equipment, including CCTV cameras, and a charging unit for defibrillators.

Despite some older vehicles being under the weight limit, GWAS has decided to ban all ambulances from using the route which connects Clifton and Leigh Woods.

Bridgemaster David Anderson recently told GWAS a number of its ambulances had breached the weight limit on the Grade-I listed structure.

The ban will add an extra five or six minutes onto journey times from North Somerset to the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

A GWAS paramedic, who did not wish to be named, said: "We have used the bridge for years and there have never been any problems. I don't understand.

"It is putting five or six minutes on a journey, even with blue lights. And if there is a bridge swing in the Cumberland Basin, who knows how long it might take.

"We used to be able to get from the BRI to Leigh Woods in eight minutes but now we can't. We have to go to Hotwells and up over Rownham Hill.

"This will put lives at risk, and that is ridiculous."

Fire engines are unable to use the bridge, too, as they are too heavy.

Mr Anderson said: "There is a four-ton weight limit on the bridge and some of the ambulances weigh more. We pointed that out to the ambulance service.

"Vehicles under the weight limit are OK to use bridge but we have asked where possible that they do not use this route. We have to take precautions.

"The four-ton weight limit is what has been judged to be a safe load which the bridge can carry in terms of one vehicle and any individual vehicle that exceeds that limit could cause damage to the bridge."

Mr Anderson said that all vehicles are weighed as they approach the suspension bridge, using a weigh bridge. If the weight limit is exceeded an alarm is triggered and the barriers will not open.

The number of vehicles on the bridge at any time is also controlled by the barriers and in the most serious of cases Mr Anderson said other traffic could be prevented from using the bridge while an ambulance was crossing.

Mr Anderson said: "We have got to do that to protect the bridge. It is for a good reason that the four-ton weight limit is in place and we are not prepared to take the risk of having any overweight vehicles on the bridge.

"If an ambulance was on an emergency journey and was a little overweight we would allow it to pass.We would never turn an ambulance away if it was on an emergency shout."

GWAS said it had previously had an arrangement with the bridge trustees to allow some ambulances to use the route.

Cars driven by rapid response paramedics, who are usually the first at the scene of an emergency, can still use the bridge.

John Oliver, GWAS spokesman, said that ambulances were now heavier because they carried more equipment to treat patients at the scene.

He said: "When it comes to dispatching vehicles we have a system that sends the nearest and quickest response, the fact that the bridge is no longer accessible to some ambulances shows up on their screens.

"While an ambulance may be the nearest vehicle, if it requires them using the bridge they will not be considered.

"While the journey may be slightly longer if avoiding the bridge, alternative routes provide more capacity for high speed driving, such as dual carriageways.

"We have not noticed any major difference in response times for getting to patients."