Automated car washes allowed to re-open from 12th April
Following tireless lobbying bby the Petrol retailers Association, the Car Wash Association and Brian Madderson, automated car washes (ACWs) are allowed to re-open in Northern Ireland from Monday 12th April.
Mr Madderson received a letter from the NI Executive Office on 10th April confirming that automated car washes are included in the lifting of some Covid restrictions from 12th April.
The First and deputy First Ministers wrote that “The Executive published ‘Moving Forward: The Executive’s Pathway Out of Restrictions’ on 2 March, which detailed the approach we will take when considering how and when to relax the current restrictions. The reopening of our society will be on a step-by step basis and we will be adopting a cautious approach informed by a range of evidence and data.
“On 1 April, the Executive discussed its ongoing implementation of the Pathway and agreed a range of further relaxations which will come into effect on the 12 April. This includes a decision to reopen outdoor retail which includes car washes.
Brian Madderson said “We were delighted for our members across Northern Ireland with automated car washes (ACW) on their forecourts to have a personal letter last week from the Executive Office of the First Minister confirming that car washes would be permitted to operate from 12th April. However, we remain very concerned that there appears to be no Government recognition that hand car washes (HCW) involving third party operators have a high degree of risk for virus transmission and should be subject to vetting by local authority enforcement agencies to check that their operations are properly CV-19 compliant.”
