PLUS Workshop on Wheels – protecting highway users from unscrupulous tow trucks and workshops

PLUS Workshop on Wheels

The festive Raya season isn’t far away now, and as is the case every year, the highways won’t be short of traffic. Obviously, long journeys put your vehicle more at risk of breaking down.

You don’t want to be stranded for too long, but you don’t want to be cheated by dishonest tow trucks and workshops who charge exorbitant tow and repair rates either.

PLUS’ Workshop on Wheels (WOW) service, developed in collaboration with the Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM), has managed to significantly reduce the number of complaints regarding unscrupulous tow trucks and workshops on the highway.

PLUS Workshop on Wheels

Before WOW existed, 42 such grievances were recorded between 2011 and September 2012, with complainants incurring losses of up to RM3,000 in each case. Since WOW’s introduction in October last year, only five complaints have been received to date.

“The WOW service is one of our continuous efforts to promote safer, smoother and more convenient travel on the highways,” said PLUS MD Datuk Noorizah Abdul Hamid. “All these efforts are aimed at giving added value to highway users.”

In the event of a breakdown on the highway, the user can call for help via the roadside Emergency Telephones or through PlusLine 1-800-88-0000. A PLUSRonda team will then be despatched to the scene to inspect the vehicle and conduct minor repairs such as tyre changing, free of charge. If major repairs are required, the PLUSRonda team will enlist the help of a WOW unit.

Left: Part replacement charges (labour included). Right: Subsequent towing charges. Click to enlarge.

A WOW van carries spare parts including batteries, radiators, alternators, brake pads and spark plugs, estimated replacement charges of which are shown in the above left table. Work will be carried out either on site or at other safe locations on the highway. Towing from the breakdown location to the nearest services or rest areas are free of charge.

If even more thorough work is needed on the vehicle, it will be towed to WOW workshops outside the highway. For PLUSMiles and AAM card holders, this is free for the first 35 km (from breakdown location to workshop and back). Subsequent towing charges are as depicted in the above right table. Users may choose to send their vehicles to their preferred workshops at their own cost.

Since the implementation of the 24/7 service, 3,387 breakdown cases have been successfully attended to. At present, there are 17 WOW teams on the North-South Expressway, the Penang Bridge and the Second Link highway. Visit www.plusmiles.com.my for more information.

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Jonathan James Tan

While most dream of the future, Jonathan Tan dreams of the past, although he's never been there. Fantasises much too often about cruising down Treacher Road (Jalan Sultan Ismail) in a Triumph Stag that actually works, and hopes this stint here will snap him back to present reality.

 

Comments

  • calcutta on Jul 23, 2013 at 3:09 am

    better late than never

    those samseng tow gang had been victimized the road for as long as malaysian pave road history,only now they thought of protecting the road user(who paid to use their road)

    wonder what trigger them to start this initiative,maybe some PLUS top brass relative got victimized by those samseng lately

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 39 Thumb down 19
    • Christ on Jul 23, 2013 at 7:11 am

      Pls think positive, dont always start with negativity

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 46 Thumb down 5
      • Wisdom on Jul 23, 2013 at 10:12 am

        Positively, the parts price list including labor is quite ok and some are cheaper than authorized service center.
        Eg. Alternator for Honda ranging from 220-650 including workmanship is cheap.
        Lets consider servicing our car at highway side!

        Suggestion for improvement: Please include conti car parts and prices. Conti car much frequently stranded compared to japanese car in our highways.

        Also pls include >250cc bike assist price. Seems like PLUS not really keen to help the big bikers.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 11
        • Joe Radzif on Jul 23, 2013 at 1:04 pm

          kasi bayar toll dulu…
          kereta 660cc pun bayar tol
          moto 1400cc berdesup macam highway ana yg punya pun takda bayar…

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 3
          • Wisdom on Jul 23, 2013 at 1:43 pm

            Kancil + passenger = 1000kg
            Superbike + pssnger = 280kg
            Toll for superbike?? Naaaahh
            Duration of usage also very short…

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 23
          • Joe Radzif on Jul 23, 2013 at 2:17 pm

            Then…
            use the bike lane
            hardly seen bigbikers in that lane…

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 4
          • Wisdom on Jul 23, 2013 at 5:17 pm

            That is emergency lane.

            Even normal 100cc cub suppose to ride on either right or left lane. Not emergency lane.

            But who are we? Always being bullied by joe sportscar, being honked, pushed, till we have to use emergency lane. The irony is, sometimes joe also use emergency lane to overtake when its jammed. And blocked us when he got nowhere to go. Thats why sometimes we called our big brother bikers to teach joe a lesson or two…

            ; p

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 9
      • calcutta on Jul 23, 2013 at 11:25 pm

        try to be positive when u are one of the victims there for twice

        been con once as teenager at melaka-seremban in 2002 by these samseng tow gang,and robbed once in 2006(someone put needle to puncture ppl motorcycle tyre and rob them)

        police report still somewhere in my file,7 years later only they decide to do this

        only victim share my feeling

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
    • johnny perjalanan kaki on Jul 23, 2013 at 8:08 am

      i guess after seeing how these samseng’s were making, plus decided to join in the act..
      not too sure how much of spares they cant stock up in those vans considering the number off variables which can happen..
      so if they cant fix it we have to go back to those samsengs?
      what ever said this is definitely a good initiative..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 5
    • gOOsh on Jul 23, 2013 at 8:21 am

      100% agree bro…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 3
    • Mr Mac on Jul 23, 2013 at 10:50 am

      Of course la!!! hahaha… so now guys…we know know the method to ask govt + entities to do their jobs and deliver better services…attack their tauke! haha

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 6
  • Mozilla Chrome on Jul 23, 2013 at 7:23 am

    They should have done this years ago..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 1
  • look at the charges for kimchi cars @.@

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
    • K-POP on Jul 23, 2013 at 10:14 am

      Happy like hell when you buy it, cry like hell when you service it.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 4
    • Basically Kimchi car drivers are richer than cheapskate jap car drivers. So we dont worry about the cost.
      If you want to worry about cost, buy a 1995 Kancil and drive it.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 13
      • Tucker on Jul 23, 2013 at 2:02 pm

        U totally sound like a typical kimchi. So rich, u oso got Mercedes stocked somewhere in ur house too? Wait, rich ppl get kimchi. Rich people=rotten cabbage, sounds totally like a John to me!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
      • Those kim-chi driver buy kim-chi car bcoz they cant afford a Jap car.. u dumbass…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 3
        • calcutta on Jul 24, 2013 at 2:08 am

          japanese car driver are poor ppl can’t afford the maintenance and depreciation cost of korean or conti car dude

          they choose cheap maintenance over refinement and style

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
  • taxi taxi taxi on Jul 23, 2013 at 7:34 am

    It’s a good effort. Please do keep it up and lets help those in need. We all want to balik kampung safely :)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 0
  • grizzy on Jul 23, 2013 at 7:57 am

    this is such good move..at least.. :-))

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 0
  • akula on Jul 23, 2013 at 8:22 am

    ya lorr…maybe datuk-datuk or kerabat sultan sudah kena, baru mau bikin…cittt

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 20
  • Joe Radzif on Jul 23, 2013 at 9:04 am

    Hope the service will continuously ever after. not one time or one night stand…

    btw, it is a good move

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 20 Thumb down 0
  • hondasa on Jul 23, 2013 at 9:16 am

    thanks PLUS.

    my dear honda SA friends ( as well toyota, nissan, mazda, ford frieds ) get yourself the spare part cost brochure as soon as possible. Now we have more sales kits to prove our points to customer to beat kia and hyundai….

    yes yes yes… i like this.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 5
  • izaf505 on Jul 23, 2013 at 9:19 am

    Good effort, at least they can towing victim car to nearest R&R/Exit then official insurance tow car will handle it. I had the experience the two gang request rm300 just because he help me to call the tow car

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • lotustuned on Jul 23, 2013 at 9:38 am

    Once radiator bocor. Plus truck tow to nearest exit free. On the way advise panicky me what to do. Under the hot sun they don’t even accept genuine token kopi-money *thumbs up*

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
  • Dru-Zod on Jul 23, 2013 at 10:35 am

    This is a very good thing. Well done PLUS. When are the others (KESAS, LDP, SKVE etc) going to come up with their Workshop on Wheels?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Isn’t the towing service charge already included in our tol charge (not direct amount charge, but some % of it, like buying insurance premium)? I remember reading it and were often reclassified as free (till tol gate).
    Is this WOW a premium service? Will the normal service still made available?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • civicEK on Jul 23, 2013 at 11:21 am

    and i heard KIA and HYUNDAI are cheap to maintain?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 4
  • Jimmy on Jul 23, 2013 at 1:37 pm

    Operated by whom?
    Efficiency?
    Perhaps may take forever for the help to come.
    Cantiq on paper, especially before you put down your X .

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 7
  • dus oto on Jul 23, 2013 at 1:39 pm

    Where is vgm? Hope they will read this article. They should provides the same mobile facility like this..but they need bigger trucks to accomodate back-up tsi engine, mechatronic part, varta battery, oem spark plug..this and that…..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • matlanun on Jul 23, 2013 at 5:52 pm

    Of course la original punya barang manyak mahal maa, lu beli itu taiwan atau local punya mesti murah tarak tahan lama.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Do they accept credit card? Who carries 1k++ on the road daily?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Experience before using WOW, service ok but barang expensive, its not that original also, it depends on the customer whether u wan to replace with ori parts that cost a bomb or an AA parts that cost just half and same warranty.

    I replace alternator cost RM700, but can get cheaper la around RM400 but then I was in the RNR, so cannot bargain la..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • amshah on Jul 24, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    Also have service for small bike, that’s good news.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Go Fix Mobile Mechanic is the best…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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