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Patrols get on two wheels to improve service to members
Chronic congestion has reached record levels in some cities, so the AA
is introducing patrols on electric scooters and motorbikes to tackle the
problem.
The UK's biggest breakdown organisation will use bikes to cut through
traffic and reach breakdowns in central London up to 25 per cent
quicker, getting members and other traffic moving again with minimum
delay.
The trial is in central London, where traffic speeds in the morning peak
are at their lowest in 40 years. If it is successful, the bikes could be
rolled out to other major cities revealed today by the AA.
The average traffic speed across London is 16.9mph. But during peak
periods in central London this slows to just 10mph – the same speed as
horse-drawn carriages a century ago.
Edmund King, President of the AA, says: "On busy city roads, one flat
tyre can delay thousands of motorists and further aggravate congestion.
By cutting through traffic, AA bike patrols will reach breakdowns more
quickly and get our members and other drivers back on the move with the
minimum delay.
"We need radical action to beat record slow traffic in our cities and
decided that two wheels are quicker than four. By fixing breakdowns more
quickly, we will improve service to our members, and help reduce
congestion and emissions. Our analysis of traffic speeds in major cities
shows that congestion is not just a London problem with Bristol bottom
of the league, and Glasgow, Southampton and Liverpool less than 1 mph
quicker than London."
The bike patrols will target 'quick fix' breakdowns such as flat
batteries, wheel changes and simple electrical faults. These problems
cause over a third of the 3.6 million breakdowns attended by the AA each
year, often causing lengthy traffic jams.
The new bikes – which include environment friendly zero-emission
electric scooters – are expected to cut up to 25 per cent from peak time
breakdown wait times.
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