Línea Directa collaborates with the regional government of Madrid in the coronavirus crisis

•    The insurance company has made part of its fleet of cars available to the regional government of Madrid for the use of health personnel, particularly those stationed at the IFEMA Hospital.

•    It has also offered 50 of its contact centre operators to work with public information services during this crisis. 

•    In these extraordinary times caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus and the state of emergency decreed by the Government, Línea Directa is stepping forward and offering to help with the management of this unprecedented health crisis in the Madrid region, the area of Spain most badly hit at present.   

•    This initiative involves over 30 vehicles from Línea Directa's fleet of courtesy cars for its policyholders and more than 50 telephone operators, who will work from Monday to Friday, from 08.00 to 22.00, and weekends in morning, afternoon and night shifts. 

•    This initiative is one of the measures the company is taking to support customers, employees and institutions at this extraordinary time in the fight against COVID-19. 

Madrid, 26 March 2020.- The coronavirus crisis is hitting the Madrid region hard, with deaths exceeding 1,825 and over 14,500 infections, according to official figures from the Ministry of Health at 9.00 am today. In the face of this health emergency, Línea Directa Aseguradora has decided to step forward, actively collaborating with the regional government of Madrid in the coronavirus health crisis.

The insurance company has offered a temporary loan of a fleet of 30 Audi A1 and Mini vehicles (used by the company as courtesy cars for customers while their vehicles are being repaired), to facilitate the mobility needs of health service professionals working at the hospital set up in IFEMA, for the duration of the state of emergency.

Línea Directa has also made part of its contact centre available to the regional government of Madrid. The insurance company, which basically operates and interacts with its policyholders by telephone and the internet, will make available 50 telephone operators to be trained and work with the information services for the public in the coronavirus crisis, following appropriate technical adaptations with the regional government of Madrid. 

All of Línea Directa's workforce -more than 2,400 workers- has been working from home since 14 March, including telephone services. This partnership involving the 50 operators will also be provided remotely. This service will be provided in various day, afternoon and night shifts, during working days and at the weekend. In some cases bilingual Spanish-English operators will be available.

This initiative is in addition to others that Línea Directa has implemented over recent days for its employees, customers and institutions. Some of these include: flexibility in insurance premium payments for the self-employed; remote working for the entire workforce; normal telephone assistance and services for customers; and an institutional campaign broadcast on television to support the public with a positive message to end the coronavirus. 

Miguel Angel Merino, CEO of Línea Directa Aseguradora, said: "Our intention as a company is to collaborate with the health authorities, in this case, with the regional government of Madrid, in every way we can to end the coronavirus as soon as possible, by working together. This is a direct collaboration where we think there is most need at this difficult time, especially for the health services and for the population as a whole".