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Breakdowns on Autoroutes...


MrCanary
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I was recently told that if I break down on a peage section of an autoroute, my insurance recovery company will not come to my aid until I am off the A route (apparently because they are not allowed to by the owners of the road). Does anybody know if this is correct please?

Mel         Mechanic

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Hi Mel,

All breakdowns on the peages are dealt with by the police (gerndermes). If you use your mobile to summon assistance you must still contact them as no breakdown company will attend without a request from an officer of the law. 

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The Autoroute companies sell the right to attend breakdowns on the autoroutes to local garages. They then have the monopoly of attending to breakdowns on "their" stretch of road.

They even have the keys to access the roads via the gates where the speed traps usually lurk!

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Thanks folks...

So, Bugbear, I take it this means the correct procedure is to telephone the Gendarmes first?

Mel        Policeman

PS - Bugbear - I love your footnote - "Life is Short - Forgive Quickly - Love Truly - Laugh Uncontrollably"

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we broke down last year near le mans on the a28 in our 14 yr old citroen ax, managed to limp into an aire, phoned international rac who got us to a garage within an hour.     2 hours after that we were on our way again with a new alternator but minus  $165.  good old rac!

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Hi, I'm Lynn, (Mike's wife), I rang the european RAC who gave me a French number to ring, on ringing this number from a pay phone at the Aire, they informed me that because the autoroutes are private it would have to be the garage assigned to that stretch of the road who would come to our aid. They guy spoke very little English but knew our exact position obviously picked up from the telephone number and we were sorted in no time at all. I assume the gendarmes become involved if you ring from an SOS box, as is the case in England.

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