Car makers offer 'roadside assistance' to beat breakdown blues

Getting stuck on the road at an untimely hour is the worst fear of most car owners. It becomes a nightmare if the breakdown occurs in an unfamiliar territory. Be it a flat tyre, dead battery, a minor mechanical or electrical fault, running out of fuel, or an accident... anything can happen to your car and upset your schedule. Roadside assistance can come to your rescue in such instances. 

Many car manufacturers bundle roadside assistance with a new car. Some motor insurance companies bundle it with a motor insurance policy, while companies like Cross Roads India Assistance, Carnation Auto India specialise in roadside assistance and offer it as a standalone product. "Roadside assistance is like an insurance against unexpected breakdowns, which can happen to any car anytime, irrespective of the age or condition of the car," says Harish Lakkher, CEO, Cross Roads India Assistance.

What's on offer? 

Roadside assistance promises you assistance within half an hour of making a call if you car has broken down. It takes care of your punctured tyre, a jumpstart is provided if the battery is down, among other things. While these services are free and part of the package, if you have run out of fuel, you will have to bear the actual fuel cost. In case your vehicle needs to be towed, it is towed to the nearest workshop of your choice, and you would have to foot the charges. "We also provide a taxi assistance and hotel accommodation if the need be. 

The idea is to handle a breakdown situation in a humanitarian way and give comfort to the customer," says Vijay Kumar, chief technical officer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance. "By paying a small amount, you get peace of mind and you are sure of some help coming your way quickly. It helps especially in monsoons when you could get stuck in waterlogged areas," says Roshun Povaiah, automobile expert at Cartoq, an automobile website. His advice is to buy roadside assistance along with the car and keep renewing it every year. "Buy roadside assistance from someone who has a strong infrastructure and good past track record of delivery. Ensure that the service is not outsourced through third parties," says Povaiah. 

Is it worth it? 

The price for roadside assistance would depend on the age of the car and the number of services expected. For example, Honda's roadside assistance costs 1,750 in the first year, and increases to 4,600 in the fourth year. Then there are packages, which charge you based on the number of services you wish to enroll for. For example, Cross Roads India Assistance offers a City Pack, where roadside assistance will be offered within one city only and would cost 999. However if you are a frequent traveller and wish to get assistance within 23 cities, you would have to opt for a higher package which will cost you 1,599. 

Roadside assistance is not hugely popular in India mainly because it is not available to older cars. Ideally, this cover is a must after the car is used for more than five years. However, most service providers don't offer this service for cars which are more than seven years old. As a car ages, there are higher chances of mechanical problems. However, there are a very few providers who would offer roadside assistance once the car is more than five years old, and even if they offer, the annual fees would be very high," says Banwari Lal Sharma, AVP (Marketing), Carwale, an automobile portal. Also, there are limitations to services under roadside assistance. 

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Many players offer services only within city limits. "If you frequently travel long distances, such a product would not be of much use to you," says Rajesh Sood, CEO, Ecardlr, an automobile website. "Some packages may have a cap on the number of times a service can be availed," says Kunal Khattar, vice-president, Carnation Auto. Due to these limitations, roadside assistance is not popular and not many users opt for it. 

"Unlike the western countries, where service centres are far away from cities, in India, service centres are found all across the city and at small distances, because of which many feel there is little value in the product, " says Sharma.