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Journalism of Courage
Among the 15,000-odd cars lined up outside showrooms and service centres across Vadodara stands a Japanese-made SUV, which was submerged under water for over 60 hours following the deluge in August and is owned by Nikhil Patel. His insurer has classified the vehicle as a “total loss” or category C, in which vehicles are put into when the repairing cost exceeds the insured value.
Patel claims he would need to pay Rs 2.5 lakh to buy another vehicle of the same make in addition to the two-part replacement value that he would get from the insurance company and the wreck buyer. “The compensation does not include the civic road tax, cost of accessories as well as the cost of the manufacturer’s warranty and insurance,” he said.
With several residents facing the same issues as Patel, the under-fire BJP along with the Vadodara district administration is attempting to control damage by “extending as much help as possible”. It is urging insurance companies to “smoothen the process” of claims and expedite repairs to enable people to “return to normal life”, while also exploring possibilities of waiving the civic-body imposed road tax on new vehicles.
BJP Vadodara city unit chief Vijay Shah, who along with Vadodara District Collector Bijal Shah held meetings with insurance companies and car dealers earlier this month, told The Indian Express that the party understands the anger of the people against the government, but it is the BJP’s policy to stand with them in times of need.
Vijay said only those who are purchasing new cars after their vehicles were damaged in the floods would be eligible for the waiver. “We are discussing how it can be done,” he said.
The “outreach” follows incidents of elected representatives of the BJP being heckled and turned away in several areas during the floods. Even during the recent Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, residents of Karelibaug put up banners restricting the entry of leaders.
Claiming that the BJP was bearing towing charges of damaged cars and had requested dealers to waive parking charges for customers as well as the mandatory 2.5% repair estimate to be paid to the insurance company, the BJP leader said: “Vadodara does not have many public transport options, thus we (the Vadodara unit of the BJP) are trying our best to intervene and make it simpler for citizens.”
The party has also offered to open government plots to enable showrooms to park damaged cars and is offering to pay towing charges for vehicles to be taken outside the city. Apart from the district collector’s strict warning to towing agencies not to overcharge hapless citizens, the towing charges have been capped at Rs 2,000 per car.
A dealer confirmed that parking space was being provided and towing charges were being incurred by the BJP. “The Collector has also brought to the police’s notice the possible traffic disruptions in the next few days around the showrooms due to the influx of damaged vehicles,” he said.
An executive in another showroom said his company was committed to completing repairs by the end of October to facilitate smooth functioning during the rush period around Dhanteras. “Following the floods in Kerala, our company has also established a separate website to ensure spare parts are given priority,” he said.
As per the estimates of dealers of various car brands, around 35% of the damaged cars have been classified as “total loss” while over 45% have been classified as “repairable” or category B and 20% fall under category A or “minimum damage”. The BJP is urging the showrooms and insurance companies to repair vehicles falling in category A within 15 days and others in a month.
However, dealers claim they are unable to waive the charges for finalising repair estimates even as insurance companies pass the buck on to the customers. “Repairing vehicles is impossible as parts have to be imported. This is the first instance in a decade when such a large number of damaged cars have landed at the showroom at the same time,” a dealer of a popular German car manufacturer told The Indian Express.
A few other dealers and showroom owners have expressed inability to concede to the BJP’s demands. “We have registered cars falling in all categories for repairs. While those in category A can be repaired within a week, those in categories B and C will take at least a month as the delivery of spare parts is awaited. Also, we cannot waive charges for preparing a repair estimate as it involves both time and work. The insurance companies are calling customers to settle these charges. It is between them and the customer,” a showroom owner said.
