Vijayawada: Owners of old motorcycles are increasingly worried over the gradual disappearance of roadside mechanics.
It is becoming a tough task finding a talented and reliable roadside mechanic, since they are gradually finding employment in authorised service centres, on month salaries. The reasons are many.
Easy finance options, companies launching new models ever so often and each new model having an additional feature that attracts buyers, especially the youth and the middle aged is the major reason why people are now buying new bikes, rather than getting their old ones repaired.
As per State Transport Authority figures from 2012-13, at least 10 lakh two-wheelers are sold every year in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states. There are around 70 lakh two-wheelers manufactured prior to 2010 on the roads. It can be safely assumed that a sizeable number of these bikes are still being used.
Anangi Vijay Kumar, a resident of Guntur, said, “My bike is nine years old. I used to get it repaired by a local mechanic who died recently. Now, it is very hard to find someone to repair it, within my budget. Whenever my bike is stalled, I face a problem.”
Pulibandla Gopala Krishna, a mechanic in Krishnalanka, says, “Spare parts for some old models are not available. So, the customers are buying new bikes rather than repairing them. Also, the youth prefers new models. Though the service centre charges more than us for repairs, the people still go there.” He suggested bike owners to learn the basics of bike maintenance so that they are not stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Siramdas Mohan Kumar, a mechanic in Eluru Road, said, “The new models come with special nuts and bolts, which can be fastened by special tools that are only available with the authorised service centres. This hits the income of an ordinary mechanic like me. That’s why some mechanics are working in the authorised service centres on a monthly salary.”
