The summer holidays started in the Central Netherlands last Saturday, tomorrow it will be the turn of the south of the country and next week the Northern Netherlands will have a summer holiday. Many holidaymakers will therefore leave for the south of Europe in the coming weeks, where it is currently exceptionally warm.
Nevertheless, those high temperatures are not causing extra crowds at the ANWB emergency centers, including Assen, says spokesperson Sanne Over. “We do not see a noticeable increase as a result of the high temperatures. Nevertheless, it is important that people check their car carefully before they travel.”
The ANWB expects this summer to be busier than in other years. “We expect 800,000 calls this summer,” says Over. That is an increase of almost 10 percent compared to last summer (740,000) and 100,000 more calls than the summer before corona. “The increase is because more and more people go on holiday by car.”
With the number of calls ahead of the ANWB, the centers in Assen and The Hague have scaled up the number of employees considerably. “A hundred extra emergency workers work in Assen during the high season,” says Over.
The total number of employees at the ANWB power stations is 1,000 in the summer, compared to 450 outside the summer months. In addition to the Dutch offices, the organization also works from Barcelona, Lyon, Munich and the new office in Piolenc, just above Avignon. Relatively simple defects, such as a broken car tyre, must be rectified from this location.
The ANWB also deploys extra roadside assistance vehicles across the borders. “With the four extra roadside assistance from the new service point in Piolenc, 24 vehicles will be driving in France and Italy this year,” says Over.
The aid workers in Assen mainly help people who have a breakdown within the Netherlands, but they can also expect calls from abroad. “The emergency center also provides German-language support in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This concerns Dutch holidaymakers who have a breakdown in those countries,” Over explains.
The exchange in Assen also receives calls from foreigners who have to deal with a breakdown during their holiday in the Netherlands.