Ducati extends shutdown until 25 March to implement safety measures

Michelle Liew

March 18, 2020

Ducati will be closing down for a week to reorganise its production lines.

Ducati Panigale V2 | Photo credits: Ducati

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati has extended the shutdown of its plant and production lines to 25 March 2020. This is a bid to implement the safety measures to the productions lines indicated by the new regulatory protocol. Despite that, the firm guarantees all support services for its customers, first and foremost the supply of spare parts.

Since 24 February 2020, Italy has been experiencing a health emergency. Ducati had thus adopted a series of measures to limit the probability of the virus spreading at its plant in Borgo Panigale. Some of the steps taken were the measurement of the temperature at each person entering the plant, limiting trips to the strictly necessary, smark-working, meetings with reduction of participants and distance between them, canteen with special procedures and revision of shifts to reduce close contact between people.

The extension will further increase the safety level of workers. It will also introduce a multi-shift work programme. This will halve the number of people on the assembly line at the same time.

The postponement of the opening was to ensure full compliance with the new guidelines. With smart-working technology, all activities regarding the development of new products and market support continue.

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, has given a few words. “I am proud of how Ducati’s workers are facing this difficult moment for our country.”

“My thanks go to all those who, on a daily basis and even in a difficult situation like this, are confirming the great value of a united, cohesive but also sensitive and attentive workforce. For them, for their safety and for their security, measures and choices like the ones we are making are necessary and important. However, all the support services for our customers have our guarantee, first and foremost the supply of spare parts. We want to provide reassurance to our Ducatisti and our dealers all over the world. We are organising ourselves to be ready for the restart. And even in this period of downtime, we will not fail to provide support.”