LONDON
New car sales in Britain dived 44 percent last month as the country’s lockdown triggered by the coronavirus outbreak shut show rooms, industry data showed. It comes as UK-based research group, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), estimated that Britain’s lockdown was costing its economy more that £2.4 billion ($2.9 billion, 2.7 billion euros) per day in lost output across all main sectors. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders meanwhile said that UK car sales suffered the worst March since the late 1990s. “In the important plate change month, 203,370 fewer cars were registered than in March 2019, as showrooms closed in line with government advice to contain the spread of the coronavirus,” the SMMT said in a statement. “The performance represented a steeper fall than during the 2009 financial crisis,” it added. Sales are normally boosted by the tw ice-ayear number plate change that occurs in March and September. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said the data represented “a stark realisation of what happens w hen economies grind to a halt”. It comes as the CEBR said Britain’s “lockdown is leading to a reduction in economic output of 31 percent”. Total output stands at around £5.35 billion per day, down from almost £7.8 billion before implementation of the tougher restrictions tw o weeks ago.—AFP
