According to a survey by reporters at some self-drive car rental establishments, this year's car rental prices are higher than last year. However, near Tet, many customers "forgot their deposits" due to concerns about late fines and increased fines for traffic violations.
At some establishments, the form of car rental for 9 days of Tet holiday has increased compared to 2024. For the same type of car, the price for Tet 2024 ranges from 800 - 900 thousand VND/day, this year the car rental price is 1 million VND/day.
According to some business owners on self-drive car rental groups, this year there have been many cases of customers reneging on their deposits due to concerns about new traffic fines. Many car owners posted rental ads with the reason: "Customers paid a deposit one or two months ago, but 1 week before Tet, they reneged on their deposits because they were afraid of being fined."
Mr. Nguyen Duc Anh, a self-drive car rental business owner in Nam Dinh, said that this year, with the implementation of Decree 168/2024/ND-CP, the fines for some common violations such as not obeying traffic lights, speeding, etc. have increased. High fines and tightened regulations make many customers worried, because carelessness will have a significant impact on their work and personal finances. This affects the self-drive car rental market, especially for customers who do not have much driving experience.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan The - a customer living in Ha Dong district (Hanoi) - shared: "Every year I return to my hometown for Tet by renting a self-driving car. This year I paid a deposit of 5 million VND to rent a car 2 months ago. However, before returning home, I had to accept losing the deposit and not renting a car anymore, because the current fines for red light violations and speeding are very high. I am not a professional driver, so I do not dare to drive during Tet."
From the perspective of a car rental company, Mr. Duc Anh said that when renting a self-driving car, the renter will have to sign a contract and have a photo of the driver's license. Therefore, when participating in traffic, if this person violates a traffic law and is fined, the owner of the driving establishment will coordinate with the police to fine the violating driver.
"We have also made this clear for car renters to consider," Mr. Duc Anh added.
Due to concerns about fines, instead of renting a self-driving car, many people switch to renting a car with a driver.
In many driving groups, some customers are looking for cars with drivers to facilitate travel during the upcoming Lunar New Year.
According to a reporter's survey, customers mainly rent cars with drivers for daily or short-term travel such as from the countryside to Hanoi, spring travel, temple visits... The cost of renting cars with drivers in Hanoi increases by about 30 - 40% compared to normal days.
