The vehicle rental sector will be vital in maintaining the essential movement of goods, people and services during the COVID-19 virus outbreak, says the BVRLA.
As the government considers the next stage of its response to the crisis, the association has pointed to transport and business restrictions introduced in a number of EU states, where vehicle rental branches have been excluded due to their key role in delivering essential mobility services.
The UK vehicle rental industry is already an integral part of the supply chain and operating model for many businesses across the logistics sector, NHS, Police, social care, local and central government. Whether it is HGVs, vans, ultra-low emission cars, minibuses or temperature-controlled trucks, BVRLA members are able to provide access to a huge variety of different vehicles at very short notice.
“As the government considers the measures it might take to limit the impact of COVID-19, it is vital that it appreciates the role that will be played by rental vehicles in maintaining the essential movement of people, goods and services,” said BVRLA chief executive Gerry Keaney.
“Any plans to restrict business or transport must exclude vehicle rental. We have already seen the sector exempted from such closures in France, Austria and Spain, due to its essential role in providing mobility.”
The BVRLA continues to work with policymakers in a range of government departments to keep them up-to-date with the impact the COVID-19 virus is having on the vehicle rental and leasing sector.
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Matt has been an automotive journalist for eight years. As senior staff writer he is responsible for the automotive content on Fleet News and also contributes to Automotive Management. Prior to this, Matt worked in the automotive industry for 10 years.
Rental - 18/03/2020 15:58
Everyone in rental is seeing retail and inbound tourism bookings wiped out without the ability to predict what the long term future holds. Its absolutely critical that BVRLA supports the rental sector (Particularly the independent companies) throughout this period. It would be without doubt one of the worst things possible if we were to lose anymore independent companies because of this virus issue. Once they have gone, we wont get them back.