Auto repairmen in Vinh city make a lot of money during flood days

According to the reporter’s records on the morning of September 4, most of the auto, motorbike and electric bicycle repair shops in Vinh City were constantly full of customers. Before this car was finished being repaired, another customer brought his car in.

Vinh City was heavily flooded, causing many vehicles to stall. Photo: Quang An - Quynh Trang

Although it was already 12 noon, Nguyen Van Hue, a motorbike repairman in Hung Dung Ward (Vinh City), was still working because of the large number of motorbikes waiting to be repaired. Most of the motorbikes were dead due to being flooded.

Mr. Hue shared: From yesterday (September 3) until this afternoon, my shop has been overloaded, even some customers who came to repair, I had to guide them to repair at the next shop because there were too many vehicles, if they waited, it would take a long time to get their vehicle. Up to now, I have repaired about 30 motorbikes and more than 20 of them were flooded and stalled.

Most motorbike repair shops are busier than usual due to many flooded vehicles. Photo: Quang An

According to mechanics, the cost of repairing a dead engine is 50,000 VND/vehicle, and if it is more serious and requires replacing spark plugs, the cost will range from 70,000 - 100,000 VND. For scooters, the cost of starting the engine is 70,000 VND/vehicle... Most of these services have increased by 10,000 - 20,000 VND compared to normal days, but because most people want to fix it quickly to get the job done, they have to accept paying more.

Ms. Tran Thi Mui, a car repair person, said: I waited nearly 30 minutes for my turn. Even though I knew the shop owner had increased the price, I had to accept the repair to get my car back. Otherwise, I would have had to walk through many flooded roads, which would have been much more difficult.

Cars "invited" each other to the garage after being flooded and stalled. Photo: Quang An

Not only motorbike repair shops but also car garages are busier than usual. Mr. Nguyen Van Loc, an employee at a car garage in Vinh City, said: On September 3-4, our garage received about 20 cars damaged by flooding, most of the cars were in a state of water flooding the floor, unable to start the engine...

Garage owners say that car repair prices are not fixed, depending on the extent of damage, car brand (replaced parts)... however, the average price ranges from 1 to 5 million VND. If the car is seriously damaged and must be repaired or replaced, the price will be higher.

Despite the high income, auto mechanics are under a lot of pressure during these flooded days. Most auto mechanics cannot rest due to the large number of customers, many of whom have urgent business and are constantly urging them to repair their cars. Some shop owners even have to call on family members to help with the work...

Most flooded cars had to be taken apart for repairs. Photo: Quang An

Currently, the rain is still continuing and some roads in Vinh City are still flooded, so people need to limit traffic on these roads to prevent vehicles from stalling or breaking down.