Towing services are under pressure in the battle against the clock on the Antwerp ring road.
Rapid intervention in incidents such as accidents or defective vehicles is essential to provide assistance to those involved and to prevent further accidents and long traffic jams. The efficiency of towing services on the Antwerp Ring is under discussion due to the challenging conditions set by the Flemish government. Despite the need for rapid assistance in the event of incidents such as accidents and defective vehicles, especially on motorways, cooperation between the government and towing companies appears to be faltering.
A recent incident last Saturday on the Antwerp Ring road towards the Netherlands, where a collision caused a delay of more than 45 minutes, emphasizes the importance of handling such situations smoothly. However, the involvement of towing companies remains a bottleneck. These companies indicate that working on the Antwerp Ring is not profitable under the current conditions. This problem is further exacerbated by the absence of a permanent contract between the Flemish government and one or more towing services.
The core of the problem seems to lie in the strict conditions imposed by the government. Towing services are required to be on site within 20 minutes of a call. If they arrive later, they risk a fine of at least 250 euros and subsequent fines per minute of delay. This requirement, in combination with the upcoming road works in the region, makes the requested arrival times unattainable for many companies. The result of this is that the Flemish government has difficulty finding towing companies that are willing to work under these conditions.
No towing service wants to sign a contract with the Flemish government for rapid interventions in the event of accidents on the Antwerp ring road. That's what Het Laatste Nieuws writes. According to sector federation Traxio, the conditions are simply not realistic to get there on time. And those who are late risk heavy fines.
In addition, there are also the planned road works in the coming years, which probably contribute to the difficulty in meeting the requested arrival times. This makes it even more challenging for towing companies to respond effectively and timely to incidents.
In the event of a car breakdown or an accident on the Flemish motorways, road users are advised to call 101. The road police will then automatically call a F.A.S.T. towing service. FAST., which stands for 'Tackling Files through Quick Intervention', aims to be on site within 20 minutes to secure the incident and tow the vehicle involved. In addition, these services are tied to fixed unit prices.
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To select towing companies for this task, the government calls on a public tender. Among them are Ulrich Viaene, manager of Takeldienst Viaene in Wilrijk, and the company Depannage 2000 from Hoboken. Both companies are responsible for carrying out F.A.S.T. interventions on the Antwerp Ring Road, a task that cannot be taken lightly. On an average day, Takeldienst Viaene and Depannage 2000 jointly handle between 45 and 60 calls. These numbers show the high demand and crucial importance of fast and efficient towing services in this area. However, despite the size and importance of this contract, Viaene and Depannage 2000 have decided not to tender for the new government contracts.
Towing companies can apply, provided they meet the set criteria. However, it appears that the combination of tight deadlines, financial risks and challenging traffic conditions makes it difficult for towing companies to register under the current conditions. A possible solution could be to reconsider the terms of the contracts, perhaps with more flexible response times or adjusted rates, to interest more towing companies and ensure reliable and rapid handling of incidents on Flemish highways.
