"We had to close our sales rooms, but we are still maintaining the service," says Stefan Behr, head of the marketing department at the Bonn RKG car dealership. The workshops are still fully booked in the next few days. Every morning, a crisis team meets for an hour and a half to discuss the introduction of short-time work, for example. According to Behr, the sales staff are in contact with the customers digitally or by phone. But there have also been people who want to return their new car. Others would like to suspend installments, says Behr.

For safety reasons, RKG disinfects all vehicles, offers inexpensive maintenance of the air conditioning system and a free pick-up and delivery service for the workshop. Everyone keeps a minimum distance of two meters to each other. The Tüv tests in the house are to be suspended for the time being.

The TÜV-test centre in Duisdorf is still open. There are still enough inquiries, spokesman Jörg Meyer zu Altenschildesche announced. They are still going to the workshops that are open. For the time being, there will be no more driving licence tests in theory and practice. The TÜV seminar center in Bonn is closed, "the participants have been informed".

Dekra Automobil GmbH with its branch office in Dransdorf is also still looking after customers - even if there are fewer of them. "We also have to keep the business running," says branch manager Klaus Timpe. He reminds us of ambulances and trucks that need to be checked in order to continue on the road. There is even an order from the supervisory authorities to continue. However, anyone who now wants to have another exhaust pipe or his lowered car registered will be sent home. "Many people have time now and think they can come by. That's unproductive," says Timpe. He appeals that you should always come to the inspection alone and not insist on being present at the test. The BMW car dealership on Vorgebirgsstraße has also reduced its operations, and the workshop is open. Customers can find out the details - as with the competitors - on the homepage.

"We are currently limiting ourselves to online sales," says Heinz Peter Schmitz, branch manager at Autohaus Dresen in Nordstadt. The sales staff could demonstrate the vehicles by video. "At the moment we are not feeling any decline in the workshop," says Schmitz. There are still agreed dates from the past few days, and the changeover to summer tyres is currently pending. In addition to the pick-up and delivery service, Dresen also offers a night reception where customers can drop off the keys. "This service is currently not used very often," said Schmitz.

One employee is currently in quarantine as a precaution. The Jacob Fleischhauer car dealership is not commenting at the moment - due to lack of time, according to the marketing management.

Meanwhile Bernhard Kübler, head of Zweirad Kübler in Beuel, is worried: "This is a catastrophe". There is enough to do, he said, as many customers are currently on their scooters - for example, doctors who would otherwise not be able to find a parking space at the university hospital. "But we are no longer allowed to sell batteries and lamps," says Kübler, "the only way to do that is by post. "People can no longer pick up anything here." So the team of nine employees - all of whom are still with us - takes care of the repairs. The shop door is only open for this. Only one customer at a time is allowed to enter the premises, as indicated by signs. There is one thing that Kübler has no sympathy for, as many older people come by to buy spark plugs for their lawnmowers. "That's unreasonable", says Kübler, "after all, they were taking a high risk.“

Original text: Richard Bongartz

Translation: Mareike Graepel