It is high season and so it is busy again on the roads with all holidaymakers. For the employees of the ANWB Emergency Center in Assen, it mainly means that the phone is red -hot with Dutch people who are standing along the road with car trouble.
“The summer period is the busiest period of the year,” says Fenny in ‘t Veld, operational manager of the ANWB Alarm Center. “In April we already start recruiting extra employees for the high season. In the winter period, 500 people work at the ANWB, in the summer there are 1,200.”
In addition to emergency centers in Assen and The Hague, the ANWB also has locations in Munich, Lyon and Barcelona. “These are care providers who do the intake and call the alarm center, but we also have road guards abroad who go to the breakdowns,” said in ‘t Veld. The ANWB has those extra locations in Spain, France and Germany, because they are countries where many Dutch people go on holiday by car, she explains.
“We have seen since the end of Corona that it is getting busier every year during the summer,” says Marloes de Noord, team manager of the AWB foreign assistance in Assen. Although the number of people who take the car changes, the problems with which they reach the ANWB remain the same.
“The top three causes with which people call are leaky tires, dashboard reports and starting problems.” To prevent problems abroad as much as possible, she still has some tips. “Check the liquids of your car before departure and bring a spare key and spare wheel.” According to her, a credit card is also useful for unexpected costs.
In ‘t Veld adds: “For people who drive electrically: remove the car from the charging station when the charging session is ready, otherwise the costs will really increase.”