Recovery truck with sirens
 

In Gothenburg they have two or three Recovery vehicles with blue lights and sirens. When there's a halt in tram traffic due to a broken down vehicle (tram or bus) they are allowed to use sirens.

In this movie we see Assistancekåren 368 from drivers view (or actually passenger view) as the truck rush to the rescue of an broken down bus.
http://se.youtube.com/watch?v=12AJZyiDES4 :D
(Note the bus running a red light and one going in the wrong lane, all perfectly legal in that situation)

In this video 362 can be seen running along a street to rescue a bus.
http://se.youtube.com/watch?v=zDX1arEh2WQ

As a bonus:
http://se.youtube.com/watch?v=cKfJfilM8hs
http://se.youtube.com/watch?v=xZu5tRWq7uM
362 getting a derailed tram back on track.
The tram derailed 29 december 2008 after a collision with a car.

How things have moved on in the crane world.
But
No matter how much more capacity the cranes have, they are still working outside safe limits and falling over.

Ground stability must be a huge problem nowadays with so much pressure being applied on such small footprints, even including the size of the spreader plates.

Are these recovery vehicles owned by a 'central' organization rather than by the bus company? (as used to be the case in Britain - I don't know if this is still true).
In Denmark there is Falck (similar to AA and RAC) that provide breakdown assistance, Ambulance, Fire service and 'coastguard' help and much more (including fixing your lawn mower - if you are a member).
http://www.falck.dk/

Edited to add:- (Google is your friend) http://assist.assistancekaren.se/AK/...UsEnglish.aspx
http://assist.assistancekaren.se/AK/...t/Default.aspx

As you found out with Google, they're owned by a company called Assistancekåren.
In Stockholm the bus company uses Storstockholms Tungbärgningstjänst, a company with only big recovery vehicles. They were earlier a part of Assistancekåren.

Falck exists in Sweden too. Breakdown assistance (for cars, trucks and buses) and ambulances. Earlier they had manned security (of homes, companys and such things) and also tranportation of money but that part is now G4S.

Bit of a difference from my AEC Matador it did 31mph flat out :o

Recovery truck/trade plate rules -

http://www.chrishodgetrucks.co.uk/pagelaw/law4.htm

Can someone translate the above document into simple understandable English?
I cannot decide whether it is allowable to use trade plates on a wrecker . . .

We used to run all our test vehicles on public roads using trade licence plates (including the recovery vehicle, as, I believe did many operators). Then something changed (around 1970) and we had to register our wrecker.

A recovery vehicle cannot be used under a trade licence for recovery work but it can be used under a trade licence for any of the authorised purposes.


An authorised purpose is:

(a) test or trial of the vehicle or its accessories or equipment in the ordinary course of construction, modification or repair or after their completion.

(b) going to or from a public weighbridge for finding the vehicle's unladen weight or going to a place of registration or inspection by a person acting for the Secretary of State

(c) test or trial of the vehicle for the benefit of a prospective purchaser, or going to or from such test or trial

(d) test or trial of the vehicle for the benefit of a person interested in promoting publicity about it, or going to or from such test or trial

(e) delivering the vehicle to the place where the purchaser intends to keep it

(f) demonstrating the operation of the vehicle, its accessories or equipment when being handed over to the purchaser

(g) (i) delivering the vehicle from one part of his premises to another part of his premises

(ii) delivering it to or from his premises to the premises of, or between parts of the premises of, another motor trader, or

(iii) removing it from the premises of another motor trader direct to his own premises

(h) going to, or returning from, a workshop in which a body or a special type of equipment or accessory is to be, or has been, fitted to the vehicle or in which it is to be, or has been, painted, valeted or repaired

(i) going from the premises of a motor trader to a place where the vehicle is to be transported by train, ship or aircraft, or going to the premises of a motor trader from a place to which it has been so transported

(j) going to or returning from any garage, auction room or other place at which vehicles are usually stored or usually or periodically offered for sale and at which the vehicle is to be or has been stored or offered for sale

(k) going to or returning from a place where the vehicle is to be or has been tested or going to a place where it is to be broken up or dismantled

Thanks - I think I've got it now (and the answer is no . . . )