Heroes on the Road

It’s a fairly common story. There you are toodling along in traffic when something goes wrong under the hood, stranding you under the midday sun, embarrassed, frustrated, and possibly very late for an important something. If you’re lucky, there’ll be a gas station or "talyer" nearby that can give you a quick fix. If you’re not? Then you’re definitely having a bad day. And if your car breaks down at night in the middle of unfriendly territory, you’d better pray you make it home in one piece.

Addressing the more unpleasant realities of everyday motoring is 24 HEROES (24-Hour Emergency Roadside Service), a new emergency roadside assistance service provider with the nation’s biggest fleet of tow trucks and the widest coverage.

The service guarantees the availability of a tow truck crew for members whose vehicles are rendered immobile and need to be towed to a repair facility. Minor on-site repairs such as changing a flat tire or boosting a dead battery are also available.

The company behind 24 HEROES is Drive Online Inc., which is also a local motoring website at www.drive.com.ph. "[We] are in the business of developing services that eliminate the hassles that come with owning and driving a vehicle," explained Eric Soriano, Drive Online’s VP for Marketing. "24 HEROES is only the first among several services we will be launching which are geared toward this end."

24 HEROES’ coverage is huge: Metro Manila, Baguio City, Benguet, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, and General Santos City. Servicing these areas are over a hundred and fifty tow trucks on standby.

And for those who are loathe to have their vehicles towed — knowing the carefree handling of several towing services — 24 HEROES assures world-class service. "The best type of [tow] truck is the flatbed or car carrier on which a vehicle being towed could piggyback with all its tires safely planted on the tow truck’s cargo bed. 24 HEROES has more flatbed tow trucks than all the competitors’ flatbed tow trucks combined. Several are even large enough for full-size sport utility vehicles such as the Ford Expedition to piggyback on," said Soriano.

Enrollment is quite inexpensive. The annual membership fee is P695, inclusive of VAT and up to three free roadside services. Any vehicle that’s not for hire, used for public transport, motorsports, or the transport of merchandise can by enrolled in 24 HEROES. It must also be no more than 15 years old at the time of enrollment.

Membership can be via select Caltex Star Mart outlets, via online at www.drive.com.ph" or through Bank of the Philippine Islands. 24 HEROES’ exclusive tie-up with Caltex Star Mart convenience stores will enable motorists to sign up via select outlets in Luzon by the first week of April. Enrollment in Visayas and Mindanao Star Mart outlets will commence a few weeks after. Online registration is through an online form at Drive’s website, with payment using either a BancNet ATM card or VISA or MasterCard credit cards. The application form can also be downloaded from the site and paid through a BPI branch.

24 HEROES’ launch is timely, coming on Holy Week when public roads will be expected to be clogged from here to...ah, salvation. As one of the sponsors of the Caltex Summer Samaritan motorist assistance program, the roadside service will provide towing assistance for stranded motorists on April 7, 8, 10, and 11 (Holy Wednesday to Easter Sunday except Good Friday).