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NFDA calls on Government to support automotive retail aftermarket

NFDA 17/03/2020

"It is paramount that essential local deliveries and services are maintained with reliable and safe delivery vehicles during this challenging Coronavirus outbreak,” said Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK.

Today, 17 March 2020, NFDA wrote a letter to Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, to urge the Government to support the automotive retail aftermarket.

During periods of isolation and lockdown, millions of people will rely on access to safe vehicles to check on vulnerable relatives and deliver essential items.

It is essential that these vehicles are kept in a safe and roadworthy condition through essential maintenance and repairs, as well as MOT inspections.

Most of this work is carried out by franchised dealerships all over the UK, so it is imperative that these dealership workshops can continue to fulfil these services to ensure that essential local services and deliveries are not impaired.

Therefore, NFDA is calling on the Government to clarify that essential repair and maintenance services for all vehicles will not be closed as part of anticipated wider closures of shops in the UK.

Robinson continued, “Ensuring that essential vehicles remain in a roadworthy condition will reduce the likelihood of mechanical failures and other incidents, ensuring that vital journeys can be made and services fulfilled.”

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About the RMI

The Retail Motor Industry represents the interests of operators in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man providing sales and services to motorists and businesses. The RMI has a formal association with the independent Scottish Motor Trade Association which represents the retail motor industry in Scotland.