MrCanary Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJSLIV Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sackville Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Something very similar happens on British motorways.I knew a garage owner who, when he lost the towing rights, found it had an adverse effect on his business. Exactly who does the allocating of contracts I do not know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCanary Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 Thanks folks...So, Bugbear, I take it this means the correct procedure is to telephone the Gendarmes first?Mel PS - Bugbear - I love your footnote - "Life is Short - Forgive Quickly - Love Truly - Laugh Uncontrollably" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike151 Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCanary Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Hi Mike - the A28 past Le Mans is part of my regular route. So, did you contact the Gendarmes as well, or just the RAC?Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike151 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 hi mel, just the rac. no gendarmes involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 The RAC will have followed the normal procedures to get a local recovery vehicle out to Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike151 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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