Here’s which automotive businesses COVID-19 has closed in Canada

Gas stations and auto repair shops remain open across Canada in the wake of COVID-19, but depending on where you are, it might be considerably tougher to buy a car or get a license for one.

Without a federal directive on Canada-wide business closures, some provinces are setting their own rules. At the moment, auto dealerships are open in almost all provinces — possibly because they straddle a fine line between retail and auto service.

Although most are open, they may be required to follow rules of people staying at least two metres apart, and taking steps to sanitize all surfaces at least twice a day.

Province-by-province breakdown

In New Brunswick, a government employee confirmed that dealers can open their service bays, but customers can’t go into the showroom. Potential buyers can email or phone sales personnel, but can’t take vehicles for test drives. If they decide to buy, the paperwork is done at the customer’s home.

In Ontario, car dealers are exempt from the list of non-essential businesses that must be closed by midnight on March 24 (although Toronto mayor John Tory disagreed and told news agency CP24 that “furniture stores, car dealerships, clothing stores, they are not essential.”).

Quebec mandated a similar shutdown, with exemptions for essential businesses that include automotive services.

According to Automotive News Canada, salespeople at Ontario dealerships can’t get customers to physically sign a contract off the dealer’s property, but they can email the contract, and have the customer sign and email the contract back to stay within the law. Once this happens, the dealer can deliver the vehicle directly to the customer. The publication said this is clarification of an existing rule and is not a new rule made because of the pandemic.

Licensing and insurance

Most provinces have extended the expiration date for drivers’ licenses and vehicle renewals, and have cancelled in-car driving tests. Those who need their commercial drivers’ licenses renewed should contact their provincial testing centres.

However, auto insurance is still in effect, and policies must be kept up to date. Private insurance companies, and public coverage in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec can be done by phone or email.

Regulations can change at any time as the COVID-19 situation changes, but currently, the majority of provinces have restricted some businesses, such as not allowing people to eat in restaurants, but have not closed everything except essential services.

Some provinces have instigated rules against more than 25 people gathering in a business, but none have applied that to gas stations. Although it isn’t spelled out, we’re assuming that gets around the issue of cars lined up at the pumps — and remind you to practice social distancing if you go into the store.

If you’re in doubt about what’s open or closed, call ahead before visiting any car dealer, auto parts store, or repair facility.

Source: https://bit.ly/38lwsWz