New Zealand’s motor industry is preparing for return to business next week when we move to Level 3, but it won’t be operating as usual, according to the Motor Industry Association.

In a press conference today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said we would move to Level 3 on Tuesday April 28.

Motor Industry Association chief executive David Crawford said vehicle distributors of new vehicles and their franchised dealerships are carefully preparing to re-open for business.

“In a Covid-19 constrained world, operating at Level 3 will not be business as usual, it is a careful step towards restarting businesses that have put in place adequate steps to limit the transmission of Covid-19,” he said.

“This will require operating in a customer contactless manner, while providing a Covid-19 free safe working environment for employees.”

Distributors and their network are preparing their businesses to achieve non-contact operations by operating their workshops with the necessary sanitation, distancing, and other health requirements.

Retail of new vehicles will be without face-to face-customer contact throughout the sale and delivery process and to ensure vehicles are properly sanitised.

“The Motor Industry Association endorses the Government’s position that New Zealand needed to shut down to save lives, and that moving to Level 3 remains a necessarily constrained way of operating our businesses,” said Crawford.

“Equally, in terms of imports, the new vehicle sector is second only to the importation of oil in its contribution towards the New Zealand’s GDP. Getting these businesses operating again in a safe way is vital to allowing New Zealand’s economy to begin to recover.”

Other countries have already taken steps to sell new vehicles during Covid-19 constraints.