Trialled in Birmingham and Manchester, the service is said to be already proving popular with the company’s fleet and business customers.
According to the organisation, damaged tyres and wheels top the list of breakdowns for modern vehicles, together with battery and electrical faults – in 2013 14% of all its call-outs were for puncture and tyre breakdowns. The problem has been compounded by the deteriorating state of our roads along with the issue of manufacturers removing the spare wheel from new cars to reduce the weight – 50% of new cars being sold now do not come equipped with a spare wheel as standard.
The organisation said the new service will complement its existing patrols who fix the majority of punctures at the roadside or by using the RAC’s new universal spare wheel.
A team of tyre patrols will operate the fleet of 10 dedicated tyre vans. These are supplied by Mercedes based on the successful Sprinter model and fitted out by the RAC’s technical team with the latest puncture and tyre-replacement equipment, a full-tool kit and stocked with a wide selection of the most popular makes and sizes. The team are supported by the RAC’s regional network of tyre suppliers and will be able to respond swiftly to tyre-related breakdowns.
RAC head of technical Phil Ryan said: ‘The RAC’s new dedicated fleet of mobile tyre-fitting patrols will ensure that we can respond to the growing number of members and motorists who suffer a puncture only to discover their car does not carry a spare. Suffering a puncture is a very common problem and we wanted to be able to offer motorists an effective solution which would enable them to get back on the road in the shortest time possible.
‘Our mobile tyre-fitting service will cover many of the key city and urban centres and enable us to respond at the roadside to the greatest number of tyre-related breakdowns. We have developed the service in response to demand from our fleet and lease businesses, however it will benefit all of the RAC’s members offering a fast and reliable replacement tyre service.’
He added: ‘We have run a successful trials two tyre vans covering Birmingham and Manchester which has proved particularly popular with our fleet and business customers who want to be confident that their vehicles and drivers are given the best support to get them back on the road as swiftly and as safely as possible. Time off the road costs money and to small and large businesses a dedicated tyre fitting service offers the best solution to keep their vehicles moving and business on track.’
