Finally, it seems, the great UK reopening is about to get underway.
With winter coming to an end and the post-lockdown roadmap clearly laid out before us, there is a renewed sense of optimism across the nation, and nowhere is this optimism more keenly felt that amongst our restless driving community.
Of course, for some of our brokers’ customers – such as farmers or haulage drivers – the last few months have largely been business as usual. But for many other customers, vehicles have been scarcely used or laid-up entirely during Lockdown 3.0, either as a result of a drop-off in their business, or simply due to the Government’s ‘Stay At Home’ order.
From classic car enthusiasts and #vanlife acolytes to commercial drivers across a variety of trades, everyone is desperate to get back out on the road. But in the rush to rev, it’s vital that vehicle owners don’t forget to do the prep and maintenance work needed to restore their vehicles to full working order.
So as the great reopening draws near, we thought we’d take a look at how the key dates in the reopening roadmap will affect our brokers’ customers.
March 8th
• Students return to schools and colleges, great news for minibus drivers and other customers of our non-fare-paying passenger transportation product.
• Care home residents are allowed one regular named visitor, so family cars can finally take that trip to see loved ones and this is potentially a boost for local taxi drivers after several months of minimal demand.
March 29th
• Limited outdoor gatherings are allowed in private gardens, further good news for local taxi drivers wherever celebratory drinks are on the agenda.
• Outdoor sports facilities reopen, time for leisure and recreation customers to get their mowers and maintenance vehicles back out and start preparing the grounds for customers.
• ‘Stay at Home’ becomes ‘Stay Local’, so while enthusiasts won’t be able to stray too far, this could still be the perfect moment to give classic cars their first outing of the year.
April 12th
• Non-essential shops and personal care premises reopen, good news for SCV brokers, as more businesses – from hairdressers to pet groomers – are using modified vehicles to make home visits or extend their reach in the community. Showrooms can open their doors again so expect to see an increase in car sales.
• Public buildings and most outdoor attractions reopen, another SCV broker boost with mobile caterers, ice cream vans and coffee vendors likely to be in greater demand.
• Self-contained accommodation is available for booking, and with campsites and holiday lets included, this means motorhome and modified van owners can finally enjoy a much needed break.
May 17th
• Social contact rules are lifted, allowing gatherings up to 30 outdoors, much to the delight of taxi, coach and minibus drivers everywhere.
• Limited indoor mixing is allowed and indoor hospitality reopens, again to the delight of the UK’s taxi driving community and everyday car owners.
• Sporting venues reopen at reduced capacity, offering a boost to SCV, leisure and recreation, sports professionals, passenger transport brokers, and still more besides.
• Larger outdoor events reopen at reduced capacity, creating the first opportunities of the year for classic and supercar meetups and gatherings.
• Indoor hospitality reopens, so for everyday car owners, passionate enthusiasts and proud supercar fanatics, it’s time for a staycation, or at the very least, a decent day out.
June 21st
• The last closed businesses – such as nightclubs – get back underway, and late-night taxi drivers will start to feel like normality is returning.
• Limits on large events and performances will be lifted, so much-delayed weddings can finally take place, with classic and unique cars transporting the happy bride and groom on their marital way. Lighting and staging vehicles, catering and prosecco vans will all be in demand to deliver the first post-lockdown festivals, not to mention the UK’s legion of Entertainment professionals who can finally get back to work.
