Dealers Lament Lack Of Vehicles At Auto Shops

Operators in fairly used vehicles dealership business have decried what they called a drop in the number of vehicles coming into their respective parks for sales, because of the lull in vehicles importation to Nigeria.

The dealers lamented that since the beginning of 2016, there has been a fall number of imported vehicles coming into the various parks where used cars are sold along the ever busy Apapa-Oshodi expressway in Lagos.

According to them, the figure of imported vehicles that came into the parks for 2015 during the first quarter is far higher than the number for 2016.

Although figures were not attached to their claims, investigations by Auto Port Weekly revealed that fairly used vehicle are hardly seen in the parks any longer.

Confirming the drop to our correspondent in Lagos last week, Director Sunrise Motor Dealers Association, Pastor Andrew Uzor said despite the fact that there are low sales of used cars at the parks, importers no longer bring the products to the respective parks.

He attributed the development to government policies on FOREX, saying that the importers are frustrated with the ways that government is executing its FOREX policies.

Similarly, the director lamented that the few used vehicles sold in the December 2015 have not been replaced at the park, adding that the situation at hand is alarming for virtually all the importers.

According to him, there are indications that the business of automobile sales may suffer a major setback should the government continue on its policies, stressing that there is need for a review of such policies.

Similarly, dealers at Freedom Park at Mile 2 in Lagos decried the drop in vehicles that are been imported into Nigeria, even as they lamented that sales dropped drastically in the first quarter of this year.

A dealer, Mr. Kingsley Chima stated that imported cars have stopped coming to the park, due to the fact that importers are shying away from importation.

Chima added that a handful of used vehicles were transferred to the market in the first quarter of 2016, adding that the policy on foreign exchange has a significant negative impact on their business.

He added that the drop in the volume of fairly used vehicles coming into the park was alarming, noting that the drop also has a negative impact on business.