3:08 pm, April 1, 2021
Car dealers in Scotland will be able to offer unaccompanied test drives when they reopen for business on April 5.
The confirmation came from the Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA) this afternoon (April 1) after the organisation itself received confirmation from the Scottish government.
The Scottish government’s head of retail policy, Catherine Brown, said: ‘Test drives are permitted prior to final completion of the sale.
‘Test drives should take place with one sole occupant (the purchaser) within the vehicle and the car must be fully cleaned before and after.
‘Motor dealers should put in place processes to ensure test drives are conducted in a restricted and responsible manner, for example through the use of appointments or by offering a test as part of the vehicle collection process.’
The confirmation by the Scottish government came after the SMTA called for clarity surrounding dealers’ rights for reopening on Easter Monday.
SMTA chairman, Sandy Burgess, had said its members were ‘raring to go’ and ‘keen to get their plans and any required protocols into place in advance of the weekend’.
English car dealers are set to reopen on April 12 along with other non-essential retail businesses.
It’s unclear yet if unaccompanied test drives will resume at the same time.
