IT HAS been a good week for the words “bungling” and “blunder” in the local press. News North East reports on how a £4 million fleet of ambulances is off the road because they can’t tackle speed bumps. Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust bought the Mercedes, but lifts fitted at the back make them sit so low they ground on sleeping policemen. Unison says its members were not consulted on the design, but could have pointed out the problem.
Conwy County Council, meanwhile, faces a £55,000 bill after building a cycle track in an area that endangers pedestrians, reports the Liverpool Daily Post. The council only realised a formal legal order was needed for the path after it had built it on public footpaths where bikes are officially barred. Now fencing or kerbing may be needed to segregate users at considerable cost.
And the Edinburgh Evening News reports on how sports pitches built in a multimillion-pound schools revamp are lying unused because fences were built too low for health and safety rules. Balls could be kicked over the top, leading to children running on to roads outside schools. The council and builder are arguing over who should pay £350,000 to rectify the problem.