Kawasaki owners can now breathe easily in case of a breakdown as Edaran Modenas Sdn Bhd (EMOS) has officially introduced its roadside assistance services.
New Kawasaki owners can enjoy up to four free towing services in a year.
Customers can reach out to Kawasaki Roadside Assistance via toll-free line.
EMOS, in its press statement, said that the service covers all-new Kawasaki and Modenas rebranded models manufactured in 2022 and registered from August 1, 2022.
According to MODENAS CEO Roslan Roskan, the service is part of the company’s initiatives to provide the best services for its customers.
“We are always looking at providing convenience for our customers. Accidents happen and motorists do not want to walk on the side of the highway pushing their heavy motorcycles to an auto mechanic shop.
“Therefore, we have decided to focus more of our resources on helping our customers get fast, efficient and safe towing for their motorcycles rather than being forced to leave them stranded by the roadside,” he said.
The 24 hours roadside assistance includes a free 100KM round-trip towing throughout West Malaysia and to all major towns in East Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak.
However, for towing that exceeds 100km, an additional RM2.00 per kilometre will be imposed. In addition, towing services shall cover both major and minor engine/motor breakdowns and accidents.
Each member is entitled to four free towing services a year, but the service is valid for only one year from the registration date.
Owners can reach out to Kawasaki Roadside Assistance at any time via a toll-free number at 1-800-880-008.
Motorcycle users, mainly those who rode small capacity bikes (in this case ‘kapcai’), have long for extensive protection, especially during breakdown.
While big bike users and cars received all the extra benefits from insurance companies, ‘kapcai’ owners, on the other hand, lack the proper coverage they deserve.
This is no longer the case, as last month, Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Berhad introduced free roadside assistance for its policyholders who take comprehensive coverage for their motorcycles (below 250cc).
Nationwide value-added service
According to Allianz General’s CEO, Sean Wang, the company’s introduction of the roadside assistance service for motorcycles means that riders have everything to gain with heightened value-added service. The service, available to Allianz Motorcycle Plus (Comprehensive) and Allianz Motorcycle (Comprehensive below 250cc) policyholders nationwide, includes emergency towing assistance (free for up to 50 kms, round-trip), fuel delivery, battery, and flat tyre service. It will be provided by the Allianz Road Rangers.
“We have all seen motorcycle riders left stranded or worse, involved in an accident, and every single time, it is fellow riders that are at the scene offering assistance. Now, with our roadside assistance services, our own riders know that come rain or shine, we will be just a phone call away,” said Mr. Wang at the ‘Crash, Boom, Bang! Part II #Roger’ Allianz Media Roundtable today.
“As an insurer, we should be there for our customers. It is as simple as that. While many others have shunned away from such a service simply for not being financially lucrative, sometimes, there is no harm in giving a little more. This is our way of saying thank you to our customers and letting them know that we are here for them in times of need,” he added.
Allianz Road Rangers ready to assist
The Allianz Road Rangers service for motor comprehensive policyholders was introduced in the Klang Valley in 2017 as a first within the General Insurance industry. The following year, it was available nationwide.
Taking a leaf out of the existing Allianz Road Rangers service, Allianz General Head of Claims, Damian Williams, said there are the following touchpoints:
♦ 24-hour helpline assistance – in the event of an accident, policyholders can call 1-800-22-5542 to have a technician or tow truck dispatched to their location for assistance, repair work, or to provide towing services.
♦ Allianz Road Rangers Tow trucks – the Allianz Road Ranger will provide riders emergency towing assistance (free for up to 50 kms, round-trip), fuel delivery, battery, and flat tyre service.
♦ E-hailing vouchers – the policyholder will also receive e-hailing vouchers that they can use to get home from the accident site and back to their home (where the service is available).
According to Mr. Williams, it was crucial that the service was able to nullify a rider’s pain points and offer flexibility in terms of towing options. “Our goal was simple – provide quick solutions to common issues like fixing a flat tyre or delivering petrol that would allow riders to continue their journey and should the need arise, provide them with towing assistance to get them to a workshop or their preferred location and get them home safely,” he explained.
“Everything that we do at Allianz General, at the end of the day, is about our customers, and this service is solely about taking care of the rider. So we took extra care in ensuring that our touchpoints offer thoughtful assistance,” he added. “Plus, having an established towing assistance service in the Allianz Road Rangers meant we already have 190 tow trucks at our disposal and we could hit the ground running.”
How to lower motorcycle accident numbers
At the roundtable, there was also discussion about the best way to curb the high rate of motorcycle accidents is with rider attitude and cultural change, according to the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS). On top of being grossly underserved, motorcyclists also suffer the most accidents and fatalities in Malaysia. According to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) statistics for 2020, while road accidents dropped by 26% last year, largely due to movement restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet there were still 418,237 road accidents and 4,634 fatalities, with most accidents involving motorcyclists with 3,118 deaths.
MIROS Director of the Road User Behavioural Change Research Centre, Azhar Hamzah, revealed that on average, motorcycle accidents stood at around 20%, but motorcyclists and pillion passengers were most affected in terms of injuries, with more than 60% of the deaths each year. He also quoted a recent PDRM statistic which indicated that the highest percentage of motorcycle deaths, at 36% percent, involved riders aged 16-25 years old.
Users (80.6%), the environment (13.2%), and vehicles (6.2% percent) are the three main factors involved in accidents. The changing of behavioural habits and heighten awareness of safety is the quickest way to get rides to be safer on the roads. Simple, doable changes such as speed control, adhering to traffic rules like stopping at red lights, and just overall riding etiquette can make a huge difference,” said Encik Azhar.
“Motorcycles provide very little physical protection. So, for injury prevention, protective equipment like a proper-fitting, SIRIM-approved helmet can safeguard the head-on impact while, riding jackets and closed-toe footwear can help reduce injury risks such as abrasion. These are readily available items that riders should consider incorporating into their ride to keep themselves safer,” he said.
Good news for Kawasaki owners, potential or current ones as Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMM) had just signed an MOU with insurance company, Tokio Marine for the first ever bike company backed road side assistance service.
The program, Kawasaki RoadAssist will be able to aid riders to get back on the road from simple inconveniences such as aflat tyre, ran out of fuel or flat battery to major problems such as mechanical failures or even an accident.
According to KMM Director and GM, Jeffrey Lim, the service will be available to the rider or whoever is riding the covered bike, 24hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year in West Malaysia and certain parts of Sabah and Sarawak.
“All the rider needs to do is call the Kawasaki RoadAssist toll free number and the situation will be assessed and assistance is dispatched to the rider immediately,” explained Jeffrey.
The program is targeted to start on the 20th of April and interested owners can get more information about it at any Kawasaki authorised dealers.
