Driving Up EU Car Rental Standards

MEP, Robert Evans, in his campaign to drive up rental standards across the EU has released a bland but ill-informed political declaration to the European Parliament calling for regulation of the 45-50 million rentals that take place across Europe each year. While he makes a number of valid points he is calling for what is effectively car hire Utopia without taking account of the practicalities of delivery of the solutions.

A number of issues in the political core of his declaration would be damaging to consumer interests  an intention surely not intended. He calls for all damage to rental vehicles to be covered by insurance, whether that be body damage, windscreens or even tyres and wheels.

The great majority of customers treat vehicles responsibly and return them on time and without damage. But to insure against all potential damage would force rental costs up with the net result that the responsible many would pay for the irresponsible few. It cannot be his intention to create an environment of irresponsible use of vehicles by rental drivers.

While some changes are desirable, in seeking to change the way that car hire operates its present business model, Robert Evans would, for instance, force rental customers to return vehicles only in office hours so that they could be inspected by a member of staff thereby removing the current flexibility enjoyed by many customers.

The heavy hand of regulation, says John Lewis, BVRLA Director General, Is not the answer. What is needed, and what we and others are working towards, is a clear understanding among consumers that if a vehicle is damaged, then it has to be paid for. That should be by the person who causes the damage and him or her alone. It s a situation that we would welcome discussing in greater depth with Robert Evans and all other interested parties.