Too Heavy Ambulances on Mallorca: 55 Vehicles Are Being Retrofitted

Because they exceed the allowed weight, 55 patient transport vehicles on Mallorca must go to the workshop—a temporary intervention until the drivers obtain new licenses.

Too heavy on the scale: Why today 55 ambulances are in the workshop

Early in the morning, around 8:30 a.m., the first vehicles rolled into a hall on the outskirts — not because of an accident, but simply because they are too heavy. The Balearic Health Authority confirmed: 55 patient transport vehicles of the new 061 fleet exceed the legal limit of 3,500 kilograms. And that means: nobody with a regular car driver's license will be allowed to drive them in the future.

What exactly happens in the workshop?

In small teams, additional components such as hydraulic lifts, reinforcements, and some comfort modules are being carefully removed. The idea is pragmatic: remove material so that the empty weight drops below the limit again. More than a temporary fix, but targeted and measured. Technicians report that the work per vehicle takes several hours — depending on how many extras were installed.

Only patient transport, not emergency vehicles

Important to know: affected are the patient transport vehicles, i.e., the vehicles that bring patients to appointments or between clinics. The fast ambulances for emergency responses remain untouched and continue to be ready for use. That brings some relief to the control centers, which had already prepared precautionary plans weeks ago.

The authorities call this approach a transitional solution. As soon as the drivers hold the required driving license class C1, the removed parts should be reinstalled. In practice this means: first modify, then — after inspection and training — revert the removal. The training burden lies with the Balearic Employment Service SOIB; plans for courses and driving hours are already underway there.

What does this mean for daily life?

For patients, almost nothing changes. Appointments continue to be kept; there are only on a few days slight delays, say incident commanders. For drivers, the reorganization means more bureaucracy and learning burden: those who regularly drive such vehicles will need a special class in the future — or switch to modified, lighter vehicles.

In the end, it is a mix of technical annoyance and sober problem-solving. Whether manufacturers will consider higher tolerances in the future remains to be seen. Until then, on Mallorca you see workshop teams quietly working — and drivers signing up for the next exam.