Breakdown assistance and individual mobility continue to be top priorities for ADAC. Now also when a member is traveling by bike.
The ADAC wants to introduce nationwide roadside assistance for cyclists from June. The association’s general meeting on Saturday in Wiesbaden approved the automobile club’s corresponding plans for new service offerings.
“The need for help, advice and protection does not end in the area of mobility, we can do more and make more offers to our members,” said ADAC President Christian Reinicke in front of 220 delegates.
Reinicke has been in office for a year and recently made headlines with the request to leave the car at home and cycle to the bakery to save fuel. “Even if someone is traveling by bus, train or bike, we want to be there for them,” said Reinicke. He expects a lot of approval for this at the delegates’ meeting.
Breakdown helpers are still gaining experience
The bicycle breakdown service should be free for the 21.2 million ADAC members. It has been running as a pilot project in Berlin and Brandenburg since July last year. “Our breakdown helpers pull along well,” said Reinicke. In 75 percent of the cases, it’s about punctures. The repairs usually took just under 40 minutes – twice as long as with the car, because the breakdown helpers were still gaining experience, said ADAC board member Oliver Weissenberger.
The association is also testing an ADAC locksmith service in several cities and offers premium members a health app with telemedical advice from German-speaking doctors on trips abroad. The common idea behind it is “help in emergencies,” said Reinicke, referring to roadside assistance and air rescue. “Wiesbaden should send a real signal of departure for the ADAC.” At the Annual General Meeting, an expansion of the ADAC offer to include the areas of health and home is to be decided by a two-thirds majority by changing the statutes.
New Member Benefits
“The main reason for ADAC membership is still roadside assistance, by a large margin,” said Weissenberger. The club is in good financial shape. The contributions were increased in 2020. On the other hand, costs fell because there was less traffic and less roadside assistance during the corona pandemic. The switch from the members’ magazine “Motorwelt”, which was previously sent to all members monthly, to a quarterly magazine that is available in supermarkets and ADAC offices, saves the association millions. The ADAC wants to invest money in new member services, including the expansion and linking of various apps.
A year ago, Reinicke was elected to succeed August Markl, who had reformed the traditional club after the scandal surrounding the manipulated “Yellow Angel” car price.
