1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150 
A • friend in • need
Page 60
Page 65
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
TO the coach operator abroad, that is just what his AMI card will be, for those letters signify the Service d'Assistance Mutuelle Internationale offered by the International Road Transport Union.
In 1970, British tour operators will embark for the continent with this new friend, as the Passenger Vehicle Operators Association has just enrolled over 50 of its members into the AM! Service. The idea is that, in the event of a breakdown or other emergency when travelling abroad, the driver can obtain service just by producing his AMI card to one of the Assisting Members listed in the handbook provided. No cash passes— an important consideration with our currency regulations—but there is no doubt about the account being paid, because the scheme is backed by an insurance guarantee. This is equally important for the 47 centres (so far) which will be offering service to foreign coaches coming to Britain.
Service is offered under five heads:—
a. Emergency breakdown: This covers minor repairs which can be carried out in a few hours and which would require a practical mechanic, but not special garage facilities. Such assistance might be provided by some of the smaller operators, in addition to large operators and garages.
b. Repairs to vehicles: Members offering this category of service would require properly equipped workshops and have skilled staff available to undertake most types of repairs. Obviously, it would not be possible to stock a full range of spares for all types of foreign vehicles, but a garage offering this service must anticipate that it will have to overcome certain difficulties in dealing with foreign coaches.
c. Hire of replacement vehicles: This is self-explanatory and is something most coach companies would be able to offer, should a foreign operator feel it is necessary to continue his tour by obtaining a replacement vehicle. Of course, coaches provided would have to be of a standard suitable for extended luxury tours.
d. Replacement coach driver: This service could be required if the tour driver was taken ill or suffered minor injury, etc., and it was not possible for his company to fly over a substitute driver. However, it is a form of assistance which the PVOA regards with some reserve, because of possible difficulties over insurance. Advice to AM! Members has been that, whether using this service as an Assisting or Benefiting Member, they should be quite certain that their own insurance policy covers the situation; particularly bearing in mind that, where a British coach is involved, the vehicle will have a right-hand drive, whereas the continental driver is accustomed to lefthand drive: conversely, a British driver would be faced with a left-hand drive coach. The golden rule seems to be, if in doubt, only offer or hire the coach and driver together.
e. Accommodation and, if necessary, hospital treatment for passengers and drivers: In Britain, of course, hospital treatment would not create a problem for foreign tourists, as they would automatically be taken care of by our National ' Health Service. On the continent, however, this is not the case and it could be particularly valuable to have an AMI member who would make all the arrangements, including the settlement of any bills against an invoice. The ability to call for assistance in obtaining overnight accommodation in an emergency is of more general value.
On this final point, it is appropriate to emphasize that this is a scheme operated essentially by coach companies, in the different countries in membership of the IRU, and it is a mutual aid scheme. There must be no exploitation of an awkward situation, but the readiness to give aid to a fellow operator on the understanding that he will meet all reasonable charges. For example, if hotel accommodation was arranged, it would be difficult to charge a fee, although it might be reasonable to ask for payment of expenses, such as telephone calls, if these were of more than a trivial nature. Moreover, such service would be unlikely to arise without a call for help under one of the other categories, added to which the hotel might allow commission on the booking.
Apart, from the spirit of the AM! Service, there is a built-in guarantee because, should a Member feel that the charge invoiced to him is unreasonable, he has a right of appeal and the matter will then be settled between his own National Association—in this country the PV0A—and the IRU Member Associa tion to which the other party belongs.
To explain the system in more detail, it would probably be helpful to quote one or two actual examples of AMI in action. Unfortunately, this is not possible; although perhaps it is wrong to use the word "unfortunately", because this fact in itselfdemonstrates the smooth working of the AM! Service. It is only if something goes wrong, that the circumstances of any instance in which the scheme is used come to the notice of the Associations. Enquiries from the Associations already offering AMI to their members show that no difficulties have been reported to them—and that covers Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Yugoslavia: to these will be added East Germany in 1970 (along with Great Britain) and Czechoslovakia in 1971.
In the absence of a real case, a hypothetical example seems the best that can be offered. We will say, then, a coach operated by Britain's Coaches experiences a brake failure 28 kilometres beyond Lechhausen. The driver manages to bring the vehicle into the side of the road without any accident, but he cannot proceed in safety. He refers to his AMI handbook and finds there are Assisting Members in Augsburg and Munich. Augsburg is closer, but Munich, 32 kilometres ahead, is directly on his route, so he telephones the number given in the handbook for Autobus Oberbayern, who offer the full range of services. The Assisting Member immediately organizes a towing vehicle and a relief coach, while he brings the English coach to his own garage. It doesn't take the mechanic long to find the cause of the failure, and the vehicle can go on its way with the minimum of delay. The driver does not have to pay for towing or the repair, he merely surrenders an AMI card—he may be carrying two in case of need—and as far as he is concerned that is the end of it.
The Assisting Member will then, within ten days, send an invoice to the company's address as shown on the AMI card and, under the rules of the scheme, the Benefiting Member will be called on to settle the account within 30 days from the date of the invoice, when his AMI card will be returned by registered post. If, however, payment has not been received within this period and the charge has not been disputed (this must be done inside 8 days), a copy of the invoice will be sent to the National Association, which is asked to intervene. The Association must then immediately send a letter to the operator, by recorded delivery, requiring payment and should the operator still fail to pay within 15 days, through his Association—or, alternatively, produce documents to prove that the necessary payment has already been effected —then the National Association must send a copy of the invoice and their final reminder to the insurance company, which will immediately settle the account to a maximum of 2,000 Swiss Francs (approximately £200) for each card. The AMI card held by the Assisting Member is surrendered to the insurance company, which takes over the right to recover the outstanding amount from the defaulting operator. Apart from the ultimate need to settle the account, the offender would automatically be suspended for one year and it is unlikely he would be allowed to continue in membership of the AMI Service.
If the account had been disputed as indicated above, the procedure for default pay
ment would come into action only after—
and if—the Benefiting Member had failed to pay the amount agreed between the National Associations. There is no appeal against the figure fixed by the two Associations, but, if they themselves cannot agree, the IRU will be informed and will make the final decision. These last procedures are indeed hypothetical, but it is necessary to explain the rules so that all Members, both Assisting and Benefiting, can be assured of the efficacy of the scheme.
In the example given, the breakdown was not serious, but it could be that a coach was involved in a major accident. In that case, the possibility of finding someone to assist with the immediate needs of the emergency, possibly involving hospitals, and hotels for the tourists who would be unable to continue their journey, would be of real importance to a driver in a foreign country. Then, apart from the attention available for the vehicle, the general assistance that could be given by a colleague in the coaching industry, understanding the mutual basis of the scheme, and on his home ground, cannot be undervalued.
Another blessing Another particular blessing will be avoidance of the complications involved in getting currency abroad following an accident. The Bank of England has been quite adamant in refusing to allow operators to take extra currency just in case of an emergency. They say that the driver must report the accident to his company; the Home Office will then contact its bank asking for authorization to make currency available. The bank will telephone the Bank of England who will grant the authority and the money may then be telegraphed to the responsible person at the scene of the accident. With banks closed from 3.30 p.m. on Friday to 9.30 a.m. on Monday, this could cause critical delays. Perhaps, above all else, this is the greatest advantage of the AMI Service to British operators abroad.
The mutual nature of this scheme has already been emphasized a number of times. It means that, apart from service to British operators abroad, there must be a similar service offered to any Continental Members bringing their coaches to Britain—and in recent years that is an ever-growing number. Therefore, it has been the responsibility of the PVOA to offer a network of services in this country also.
For the first year a good start has been made, with 47 centres in Britain available to the foreign AMI card holder. Understandably, the greater number of Assisting Members are in the south-east corner of England. This is logical, but the PVOA would like to see this network extended so that visiting coaches can be assured of service in all parts of the country, particularly in tourist areas. It is important, both for the Nation and for the industry, to encourage tourism in Britain.
If, therefore, there are any companies who are able to offer one or more of the services listed, they would be welcome to join the scheme. The benefits to coach operators both as Benefiting and Assisting Members are obvious, but they must understand that under the rules of the AMI Service they are first required to be members of the PVOA. Other companies with facilities to repair or assist coaches can also join, and it would be necessary for them to become Associate Members of the PVOA—at a nominal subscription. Apart from gaining the general benefits of this membership, they would certainly have nothing to lose, even if no business came their way: there is no charge for Assisting Membership of the AMI Service itself. For Benefiting Members there has to be a charge to cover the cost of each AMI card issued, but this is small and in itself a very worthwhile insurance.
The charge relates to the card, which is valid for the calendar year, and can be used on any vehicle owned by the member. Unlike carnets, AMI cards can be passed from coach to coach, as different vehicles in the fleet go abroad. The way to judge the number of cards required is to count up the number of vehicles on European trips at any one time: though some operators choose to give their drivers more than one card, as this increases the insurance cover on the invoice (£200 per card) or will take care of two minor accidents. Should a card be lost, this must be reported at once to the issuing Association who will notify IRU and the insurers.
It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Therefore, it is interesting to see that Sections II and HI of the IRU, which represent the carriers of goods by road, are now considering their position in relation to the AM! Service. This is excellent because, the more widely it is used, the stronger the scheme will become and the better the service that can be offered to members.
When itself deciding to promote the AM! Service, the PVOA was aware that the network of service available needed to be expanded. What to do—sit back and wait for someone else to do the work, or pitch in and help to get a good idea working even better? Well, there's only one answer a self-respecting Association can give to that. Britain's coaches are in and we're going to help AMI to be a lot more than just a good idea! If you want to help too, and at the same time get the benefits explained in this article, write to the Passenger Vehicle Operators Association, 12 Emerald Street, London, W.C.1, or telephone 01-405 9963, for further information.