Decommissioned ambulances await further use in Es Mercadal

Around a dozen decommissioned ambulances are currently parked in a temporary car park in Es Mercadal. The ambulances of various types were recently replaced as part of the renewal of the motorised healthcare fleet and are now awaiting their final destination. As the medium Menorca reported, the current car park is the area outside the former barracks of Es Mercadal that is intended for motorhomes.

Interim storage after fleet modernisation

The collection of vehicles in Es Mercadal is a direct result of the latest modernisation measures in the area of the motorised ambulance contingent. As part of this comprehensive modernisation, the old ambulances were replaced with new models in order to guarantee the operational capability and technological standard of the fleet. The decommissioned vehicles were then brought together at the aforementioned location.

According to Menorca, this is a „docena de ambulancias de distinta tipología“ - i.e. around twelve ambulances of different types. The fact that different types of vehicles are affected indicates that the modernisation did not just involve a single category of ambulance, but affected a wide range of health service vehicles that have now been taken out of active service.

The vehicles have been functionally deregistered and are now awaiting a decision on their future. The temporary storage in Es Mercadal serves as an interim solution until a permanent destination is found, as Menorca notes. The situation illustrates the logistical effort involved in the decommissioning and management of large public service vehicles.

The location in Es Mercadal

The chosen location for temporary storage is the mobile home zone, which is located on the outside of the former barracks of Es Mercadal. This area, which is normally intended for tourist or temporary accommodation on wheels, now serves as a collection point for the decommissioned fleet. This use emphasises the temporary nature of the current situation.

The ambulances there are „estacionadas“, which means that they have merely been parked and are not ready for immediate use. The visual presence of such a number of ambulances that are no longer in service creates a striking scene in the neighbourhood of the former military facilities.

The crucial element of the current situation is the uncertainty about the future use of the vehicles. They are „a la espera de un futuro destino permanente“. This implies that the responsible authorities have not yet made a final decision as to whether the vehicles will be sold, converted for other purposes within the public sector or scrapped for good. The temporary parking zone in Es Mercadal therefore serves as a waiting area for the vehicles that have completed their service in the motorised ambulance contingent.