Melburnians can now service their cars again

Melbourne residents can now have their vehicles serviced as part of more relaxed Stage 4 restrictions amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the Victorian state capital.

As of today (September 16), scheduled or routine servicing is now permitted for vehicles – either privately owned or used for an approved industry – in the metropolitan Melbourne area, where vehicle servicing was previously banned.

However, while Melbourne motorists are still required to remain within a 5km radius of their homes, they can travel beyond that distance if there is no appropriate service centre within 5km, or if the vehicle requires a branded (dealership) service, for example if a Mazda owner wants to have a Mazda dealership service their vehicle.

The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) said the easing of Stage 4 restrictions for logbook and scheduled vehicle servicing followed a long and collaborative discussion with the Victorian government.

“VACC has been in constant dialogue with the Victorian government and is pleased that the government has listened to our reasoned arguments and put the safety of motorists first,” said VACC CEO, Geoff Gwilym.

Previously under Stage 4 conditions, motorists living in the metro Melbourne area were not permitted to book routine servicing (logbook or scheduled maintenance) for their vehicle/s as a standalone service.

Additional service work to a vehicle was only lawful when urgent vehicle repairs were being undertaken, when maintenance and servicing could also be completed at the same time to keep the vehicle roadworthy.

According to the VACC, this would have resulted in half a million vehicles going unserviced this year.

“VACC research indicates that Victorian new car dealers saw an 81.1 per cent drop in vehicles presented for service between June and August,” said Gwilym.

“This, when factoring in motorcycles and trucks, could have led to half a million vehicles missing their regular service ‘window’ by December – if the government had not listened to industry feedback and insight.

“Critical repairs may have been missed. This is not only dangerous but would have produced a backlog that was unlikely to be cleared in time for the end-of-year holiday period.”

The VACC says the Victorian auto industry adapted quickly to adhere to government COVID-19 safety advice and is ready to safely provide their services to metro Melbourne motorists once again.

Many Victorian businesses have adopted a contactless service model and implemented options such as key drop-off box facilities, contactless payment via ‘tap and go’ online banking or over the phone payments, emailing of invoices and work authorisation via SMS or email.

The VACC said the servicing announcement reflects the essential role the automotive industry plays in the Victorian community and economy, and the southern state government’s commitment to maintaining motorist safety.

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