Maruti Suzuki brings quicker roadside 'bike' assistance for car owners

This is the first of its kind initiative by any carmaker, which is aimed at reaching the car owner in a shorter time

Country’s biggest car maker Maruti Suzuki on Friday rolled out a motorcycle-based roadside service initiative for car owners, a first by any carmaker. Designed to reach the car owner in a shorter time, the initiative complements the existing roadside assistance that runs on 415 vans.

The Suzuki owned company flagged off a fleet of 350 Suzuki bikes that will service customers in 251 cities. The number of cities will be expanded to 500 by 2020. 

Kenichi Ayukawa, MD and CEO of Maruti Suzuki said in many cases the heavy traffic in cities does not allow vans to reach customers on time and causes stress and anxiety. “This waiting time can be cut down with the help of this quick response team and the technician well equipped with tools and spares can reach the customer faster”, he said. 

The company said the service is equipped to cater to 90 per cent of the problems faced by a customer on roads. The user of this service can raise the request for a road side assistance on an app and a GPS enabled system will connect the customer with the nearby technician. The two can connect over phone and the customer can track the arrival time of the technician on the app. 

For cars under warranty, this service will be complementary. Customers whose cars are outside warranty can available this service by paying a visiting charge ranging between Rs 420 and 575, depending on the location. 

Ayukawa said service has been a high priority area for the company and it differentiates the brand’s ownership experience.