11:20 am, April 29, 2020
Car dealers in Scotland can sell and deliver vehicles so long as their showrooms remain shut, it has been confirmed to Car Dealer Magazine today (Apr 29).
Sandy Burgess, chief executive of the Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA), contacted Car Dealer via email, attaching a letter he had been sent by Fiona Hyslop, pictured, the Scottish Parliament cabinet secretary for economy, fair work and culture.
In reply to his request for clarification about the sale and distribution of vehicles in Scotland, she says:
‘There are no regulations which stop motor vehicles being distance sold and delivered in Scotland, it is the showrooms which must remain closed.’
Hyslop emphasises that any distance sales and deliveries must comply with the physical distancing guidelines, adding: ‘I’m sure that your members who choose to distance sell will do so in a responsible manner.’
Burgess told Car Dealer: ‘While I accept that this is very Scottish-focused, it does offer, to my knowledge, one of the most concise responses yet dealing in a direct and unambiguous manner to the key question asked.
‘We are now able to advise our members and also provide them with a written notification that they can legally move around the country delivering and thereby collecting cars.’
He added how pleased he was to get the government letter, noting that Hyslop had taken the trouble to write it on a Saturday.
Burgess told how in the early days of the crisis, when there was a lot of confusion about what could and couldn’t be done, an SMTA member had a member of staff who was fined by police while on their way to work to carry out an MOT test. ‘This is very helpful because we can now tell our members to print this off, go out and if you’re in a situation where you’re stopped just hand it to them and say “Look, I’m delivering a car, I’m transacting but I’m doing it in a proper and responsible manner.”
‘It gives people confidence. We’re in a really challenging situation at the moment, so we welcome direct responses to direct questions. It’s very positive, it’s very satisfying to know that they are dealing with the issues, and the use of unambiguous, straight-to-the-point language is much appreciated.’
Fiona Hyslop’s letter to Sandy Burgess
More: Official – Government confirms car dealers CAN sell cars and deliver during lockdown
Guide: What dealers need to consider if they’re planning click-and-collect-sales
Guide: How do you safely deliver a car during the lockdown?
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