Citizens cry foul as car rentals shoot up

With an increase in the number of families visiting major cities in view of the current school vacation, car rentals have also shot up, triggering calls by citizens to monitor the prices.
Riyadh, Jeddah and Jazan have seen a high demand for cars this holiday season, leading to a sharp hike in rents, a survey by a local daily has found.
Adel Al-Turki, a citizen, was quoted as saying that there is an increase in not only car but also accommodation charges every holiday season. “I hope the authorities concerned punish those who raise prices and use the holiday season to make huge profits.”
Turki Deifallah, another citizen, said car fares shoot up at the King Khalid International Airport. He called for the imposition of more control on the prices since the problem is repeated during the holiday season.
The number of car rental offices in Jeddah is 25, according to the Jeddah electronic guide.
Naif Al-Theib, assistant executive director of a car rental company, said it is one of the most important sector that meets the demands of car rentals and provides a wide choice.
He said many people rent cars during the holiday season and the prices depend upon the type of car, which usually starts at SR80 and reaches SR3,000 for one day.
Al-Theib said demand increases during the holiday season. People usually rent small or medium-sized cars and that luxury and big cars are rented by a few people only.
The owners of some car rental firms in Jazan said the sector is thriving now with many people renting cars with the beginning of the season. They admitted there is a great variation in prices.
The market is divided according to the size and model of the car with prices varying between SR100 and SR120 per day, the survey found. Prices go down according to the mileage. Medium-sized cars rentals vary between SR200 and SR220 per day, while the price of large cars are between SR350 and SR450.
“Rent for large cars could climb up to SR1,000 per day and these prices vary according the client’s needs such as insurance. Insurance for small cars reaches SR15, medium-sized cars SR20, large cars SR50 and luxury cars SR200,” one of the owners of the car rental company in Jazan said
source:Arab News