Sussex ambulance staff to use e-bikes to help people in hard to reach locations quicker
It's part of a trial taking place near Chichester
Ambulance staff near Chichester are starting to use e-bikes, kitted-out with life-saving medical supplies, to improve response times to emergencies.
SECAMB says it'll make it easier for Community First Responders to get to hard-to-reach locations.
It's being launched in the Manhood Peninsula, with some being used through Chichester, which are popular coastal areas.
Because of this, it's hoped to make it easier to pass through gridlocked traffic, which is a particular concern during the summer months.
Frank Doel, an ambulance technician and CFR team leader for the Manhood Peninsula area of Sussex, who came up with the idea, said:
“It gets very busy in the summer, the roads here are heavy with traffic.
"With a bike, it took me 12 to 15 minutes.
"In a car, it was half-an-hour or more.
"From an emergency response point of view, if you’ve got a good cycle route area, why not take advantage of it?”
The pilot scheme will assess its impact from now through to the summer next year.