Key worker fleets struggling to find open garages are being provided with a solution under a new partnership between RAC Approved Garage and epyx.

Marc Lees, business development manager at Epyx

With many garages closed at the moment, the arrangement helps ensure that broken-down fleet cars and vans driven by key workers can be recovered by RAC patrols to workshops known to be open.

The partnership has been created by the RAC after it was asked by a major fleet to try to resolve this problem but the organisation has said it was already an emerging issue for a number of key worker fleets.

The new partnership means that garages in the RAC network can opt to join the supplier directory in epyx’s 1link Service Network service, maintenance and repair (SMR) platform, which is used by fleets totalling four million vehicles.

These fleets can then choose to be recovered by the patrol to an RAC garage registered with epyx that they know is definitely open and can form part of their usual SMR buying through 1link.

Gary Wrightson-Heyworth said: “For car and van operators delivering essential services, keeping vehicles on the road is paramount at the moment. It could literally save lives. We have been determined to play our part.”

Marc Lees, head of business development at epyx, added: “Many of the garages in the RAC network were already users of 1link Service Network but we have embarked on a campaign to recruit the others and have added nearly 100 garages to date.

“Like the RAC, we have been heavily involved with helping essential workers and vulnerable people to stay mobile during the current crisis and we are very pleased to be involved in this initiative.”