In trouble overseas - help is on your mobile

British travellers make around 70 million visits abroad a year and though most of these trips turn out well, it can be extremely stressful and disorientating when things go wrong. What do you do when you lose a passport, get mugged in an unfamiliar city.

A new service from Trafficmaster could be the answer.International Rescue is a smartphone application within the Trafficmaster Companion suite of travel services that provides round the clock travel experts who are on hand to help in an emergency. 

Teams of experts located in over 40 countries from France to South Africa can assist you whether you have broken your leg on an alpine mountain, been mugged on the Paris Metro or lost your passport - and as they have local knowledge they can even help you find your nearest chemist or cash machine.

Travellers are connected to Trafficmaster personal assistants in the UK who have access to in-country local teams and can provide a liaison between you, British embassies, the police, border controls and emergency services such as ambulance, fire, mountain rescue and coast guard.

If you have missed your flight they will find you a restaurant or an overnight hotel whilst you are waiting for the next plane.

Tony Eales, Chief Executive of Trafficmaster, says: “This is a ground breaking service that provides round the clock security and re-assurance. When you are abroad it is difficult and confusing to know who to contact in an emergency. Often problems are escalated because of delays in communication, a lack of co-ordination between various parties and of course language barriers. Our travels teams have the knowledge and authority to quickly deal with situations and ensure problems are managed effectively.”

The International Rescue service Trafficmaster collates all your personal information such as next of kin, passport number, blood group, allergies, current medication and insurance details. This information is securely stored and only used when an emergency arises.  

International Rescue is available on Blackberry, Symbian and Windows based mobile phones and will be launched on the iPhone next month.

To activate it, search for Trafficmaster Companion in your apps store or go to the Trafficmaster website and download the International Rescue service.

The service download costs £20 a month or £65 for an annual subscription. Calls to the travel experts from your mobile are charged at a normal UK landline rate.

www.trafficmaster.co.uk

 

6 April 2010