Car dealers bracing for a sales slowdown lobby government to avoid compulsory coronavirus shutdowns

As car dealers across Australia brace for a sales slowdown amid coronavirus shutdowns, they have already begun lobbying state governments to be classified as “essential services” and be allowed to stay open during the crisis. The Australian Automotive Dealers Association (AADA), which represents 60,000 employees across 3500 showrooms nationally, says parts and service departments in particular should be allowed to remain open as more people shift to cars as they seek to avoid public transport.