Video footage has emerged on social media of a medic’s Rapid Response Vehicle being issued with a parking ticket on Trinity Road, Gosport.
Emergency vehicles are exempt from parking restrictions because they often have to park wherever they can to save someone’s life when responding to emergency calls.
In the video below, you can see the parking warden getting out of their vehicle before taking several pictures of the emergency vehicle.
The organisation to whom the vehicle belongs will now have to spend precious time on the admin required to cancel the parking fine.
Even when not responding to life-or-death calls, emergency vehicles are expected to position themselves in areas where it is likely that a member of the public will make an emergency call.
For example, you will often see emergency vehicles parked up in busy areas as they wait for a 999 call to be sent to them.
It is standard practice to locate medics away from their usual base so that they can get to an emergency more quickly, especially during rush hour.
Judging by the markings on the RRV, it appears to belong to SHARP Medical Services, a private company contracted by the NHS.
Private medical companies have been providing an invaluable service to the NHS since the pandemic begin, helping to alleviate some of the pressure faced by NHS emergency ambulance crews.
As well as responding to emergency calls, private ambulance companies have been transporting patients to-and-from hospitals.
