Flying start

Tuesday 30 July 2019 (update 16 september 2019)
IM recovery operators achieved the fastest arrival times ever, during the second quarter of 2019. This marked a flying start to the new contract period for recovery companies on the trunk road network. The average arrival time for 27,338 recoveries amounted to 12:20 minutes. Following correction for delays due to traffic congestion, the average arrival time was just 10:47 minutes. Both figures are almost 1 minute lower than the result in the previous quarter. The record set in the second quarter of 2012 was also beaten. In that quarter, for 16,607 recoveries, the operators achieved an average arrival time following correction for delays due to congestion of 11:16 minutes.

Rijkswaterstaat securing an abandoned vehicle on the A10 motorway on 20 June 2019 (photograph: Road Inspector Stefan)

Rijkswaterstaat securing an abandoned vehicle on the A10 motorway on 20 June 2019 (photograph: Road Inspector Stefan)

The exceptional performance levels are the consequence of a tendering procedure according to which the tendering parties were able to increase their chances of a successful tender by offering low arrival times. This encouraged many companies to raise the bar even higher. Arrival times were also positively influenced by the decision by Rijkswaterstaat to commission recovery operators to run standby services during the morning and evening rush hour periods, at twenty locations across the country.

IM recovery operators with average arrival times below 10 minutes

Recovery operator Districts Area (km) Recoveries
AmerongenGL249, GL250, GL251, GL252, GL263, GL265279,91.240
SmitsNH129, NH133, NH135213,91.312
BarendregtZH166, ZH167, ZH168, ZH175, ZH177, ZH180, ZH181209,41.690
HooikammerF21, O72106,3238
BergingsdienstNB319, NB32098,7338
DongenL36497,4334
BergnetNH131, NH134, U20789,7597
VreugdenhilZH156, ZH15781,8845
SchoenmakerNH12378,3169
VlietNH13676,2486
HoogwoutNH12672,2280
DeltaGL239, GL24157,7155
RensesNH11644,7125
BroekmansL35540,943
EijckNB30540,078
HauloNH11439,234
QuartelZH163a33,2425
GraafZH16232,9169
CollewijnG3532,250
KuzeeZ28530,961
JonkNH12728,8115
HeiltjesNB33028,143
SprankenisNB33724,379
LogicxU217, U22123,7170
RoosZH16915,4130
 
Total1.875,89.206
National Total8.730,027.339
Share ART < 10 min21,5%33,7%

As a consequence of these developments, the list of fast recovery operators is different from the standard list for the last contract period. If the companies are ranked according to the total number of kilometres of road in the districts in which they achieved an average arrival time of less than 10 minutes, for the first time, the number one position does not go to Takel-, Berging- en Transportbedrijf A. Barendregt in Rhoon but instead to Eerste Arnhemse Wegen- en Sleepdienst van Amerongen, followed closely by Smits Kraan- en Sleepbedrijf in Haarlem. The list was also longer than in the past. In 45 districts, together covering almost 1900 km of IM roads, arrival times of less than 10 minutes were achieved. That is around 50% more than in the first quarter of 2019.

Car fire on 27 June 2019 on the A12 motorway at Duiven)

Car fire on 27 June 2019 on the A12 motorway at Duiven, the area covered by Van Amerongen Berging (photograph: Road Inspector Jan)

Another remarkable feature was the rise in the number of road sections in which all recovery operations were carried out with arrival times within the standard time of 20 minutes during the day time and 25 minutes at night. This performance was achieved on 463 kilometres of IM road, more than 60% more than during the first quarter. This growth was attributable almost entirely to just two companies: Van Dongen Berging in Landgraaf and Bergingsdienst.nl in Liempde. Both these companies achieved a perfect score in their extensive districts, while completing large numbers of recovery orders. Stichting IMN would like to thank all the companies mentioned for their efforts.

IM recovery operators with 100% performance

Recovery operator Districts Area (km) Recoveries
DongenL36497,4334
BergingsdienstNB32064,8213
HeiltjesGL268, NB33047,276
AutaxO7541,030
BroekmansL35540,943
EijckNB32534,362
CollewijnG3532,250
DeltaGL24125,067
SprankenisNB33724,379
BarendregtZH166, ZH17521,3282
AmerongenGL25118,346
HoogwoutNH13716,822
Total463,51.304
National total8.730,027.339
Share 100%5,3%4,8%

The tables only show those districts for which a complete quarterly report was issued in the last quarter. These are districts in which twenty or more recovery operations were carried out and districts for which the quarter just ended was the last in a series of quarters, the cumulative total for which amounts to the minimum of twenty recovery operations required for drawing up a report. Average arrival times are reported following correction for delays due to traffic congestion. In determining the kilometres of road in each district, the two carriageways of roads with divided carriageways are counted as separate roads. No rights may be derived from the information in the tables.

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