Again four ambulances to Ukraine left last weekend from the site of the Autobedrijf van René Pol from Annen. The ambulances first drive to Kiev in one and a half day, then they continue to the front.
In the beginning it was mainly organizations in the Netherlands that collected money to buy an ambulance for Ukraine at Pol. “But now we see foundations from all over Europe that want to donate ambulances to the country at war. The Ukrainians are naturally spread over Europe and they know where to find us. The total since the start of the war has been around 200.”
“They are especially active in Finland,” says Pol. “We have already delivered a considerable number of that. They naturally feel it extra, because they immediately borders Russia.” But also from Germany and the United Kingdom, according to him, there is increasing demand.
The company of Pol specializes in refurbishing fire trucks and ambulances. Good occasions are still being refurbished for the European market. They go to countries where there is no budget for a new ambulance.
The ambulances for Ukraine are often older and have between 300,000 and 400,000 kilometers on the clock. “In Ukraine they want ambulances with four -wheel drive, so we now also buy a lot in Scandinavia and the Alpine countries.”
The cars are checked and receive a report. “Based on that, we will get started and we will repair. A large scratch or dent in the body is not bad, as long as it is under the hood. Let’s hope it is not necessary for long.”