Bhubaneswar: The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to allow functioning of automobile dealerships amid the ongoing lockdown in the coastal state.
In a letter to the CM, the automotive dealers’ body president, Vinkesh Gulati, said that the demand for personal vehicles has gone up in the country as social distancing and fear associated with Covid-19 veer people away from public transport.
“Besides numerous regular customers, many Covid-19 warriors and frontline workers have been approaching us for delivery of vehicles as they prefer personal vehicles (cars/two-wheelers) over public transport in these times. This apart, the demand for commercial vehicles—which are the lifeline for transportation of essential goods and services—has also been increasing. However, we are unable to serve the customers owing to the total lockdown,” Gulati pointed out.
While thanking the CM for ensuring the ‘ease of doing business’ as well as imposing strict measures to curb the spread of Covid, Gulati said, “Our showrooms are quite big and can function with 50 per cent of the staffers while following all Covid protocols, including social distancing. Hence, we humbly request you to kindly allow us to open dealerships to sell and deliver vehicles to customers,” the automotive dealers’ body president said in his missive to the CM.
Founded in 1964, FADA is the apex body of automobile retail industry in India. FADA India represents over 15,000 automobile dealers in the country.
PNN
