Toyota Kirloskar Motor today announced that it has partially resumed retail and service operations in India. It was towards the end of March 2020 that the company announced suspending production and retail activities, in accordance with the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Now, adhering to the advisory issued by the Central and State Governments, the company has re-opened 171 dealership outlets and 146 service outlets, across India. Toyota says that as per the government protocols, all dealerships will function with the prescribed percentage of the workforce, and they will practice stringent social distancing, ensuring the health and safety of all their staff.
Commenting on the development, Masakazu Yoshimura, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “While the lockdown was a necessary step to counter the virus spread and curb the consequences triggered by the pandemic, it is paramount to reignite confidence among customers, and stakeholders and boost their morale, during these difficult times. As we gradually recommence operations, we are ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all our stakeholders while simultaneously safeguarding business continuity.” Toyota will continue to closely review the developments in each region and will take the necessary steps based on the situation.
Last month, the company had also released a dealer restart manual as a guide for industries to follow post the lockdown withdrawal, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has come out with a similar measure for its dealerships. As per the guidelines, dealerships will maintain hygiene at all customer touchpoints, do regular sanitization and ensure minimized usage of air conditioners. The staff must always wear face masks and all visitors and employees must go through thermal checking before entering the facility. For sales operations product demonstration will see a change new disinfection process will be implemented before every demo, to assure customer safety. Masks and gloves will be provided during test drives and the company representative will be directed to sit in the rear seat while the customer drives, adhering to the rule of social distancing.
The company understands that close to 75 percent of its suppliers have received a nod from the Government to recommence operations, while the remainders are expected to receive the necessary permission soon. Also, as of May 5, 2020, Toyota has begun preparatory operations at the plant to provide the workforce with an adequately safe environment to work in, duly prioritizing domains like spare parts supply. The operations at the TKM plant too will resume in a phased manner, keeping in mind the need for social distancing and thorough sanitization.