Police Use Restaurant Golf Cart on Weak Koudenhoorn Bridge in Warmond

In Warmond, Netherlands, police officers deemed the Koudenhoorn bridge unsafe for their vehicles and left their cars at the municipal harbor. To continue a search for a person in distress, an officer borrowed a bicycle and asked the owner of Brasserie Coazy, Marieke Caffa‑Ouwehand, for the restaurant’s golf cart. The chef drove the cart with the officer onto the island, allowing the police to locate the individual, who was found in good health.

The bridge, built in 2013, has long been a concern because its design supports only cyclists, pedestrians and light electric vehicles. After heavy traffic caused damage, it was fully renovated last year and stricter usage rules were introduced by the municipality of Teylingen. Only cyclists, pedestrians, horses and small electric vehicles may now cross without a permit; heavier transport must use water routes. The police confirmed the bridge’s load limits, noting that even ambulances “sometimes do not dare to cross.”