Young and old roadside bumper repair mechanics, who carry their 'workshops' on shoulders, to repair plastic fittings on vehicles, are increasingly becoming popular among vehicle owners in this city.
They are low cost mechanics who fix fittings with self-created tools and a heating mechanism.
They are popular because they charge a reasonable Rs.100 to Rs.200 and can fix plastic fittings of any brand of car in a no time.
We can see such mechanics roaming around across Punjab.
The demand for them is so high that we can see vehicles waiting in long queues for the repair. Even luxury vehicle owners prefer them.
"My car's bumper was damaged yesterday, as someone hit my car and the damage was visible and quite ugly. If I go to the agency's workshop it may cost me about 6000 rupees since they do not repair the bumper. They only replace that....and these guys get it done by charging merely 100 rupees and they well done their job", said Sehaj Kaur.
These guys use a fire to soften the plastic and without damaging the paint of the car they get job done in their own unique professional way.
Also Read
"I have been in this profession for last seven years and I can fix any kind of dent on plastic bumper of any brand of the car, said Daya, a roadside repairman.
"One motorcyclist hit my car and put a dent on rear bumper and saw these guys nearby and there were ready to do the job immediately. See, going to the agency means incurring the costs upto Rs.10,000 as there is no provision in the workshops for repairing these damages. But here the same can be fixed for Rs.200 or so," said Manjit Singh, the owner of a Maruti Swift car.
These roadside mechanics even offer home service.
"We get calls to reach home and fix the damages to the plastic bumpers and other fittings on the vehicles. We just carry this small boxes of the tools and fix the problems in no time," said Yudhvir Rana.
The technique they adopt is simple and impressive. They use a small stove or the charcoal hearth to heat up the plastic part which is damaged, and then, apply pressures through the small tools and the fitting is fixed. They do it with such an expertise that they do not allow even the paint in the adjacent areas to peel off.