Bahrain Grand Prix leads to car rental shortage

Bahrain is getting ready to host the Gulf Air Grand Prix, a major sporting event that attracts thousands of extra visitors to this country. In light of the expected rise in arrivals, car rental firms are warning that those who wish to hire a vehicle must book as soon as possible, since many outlets are already experiencing an acute shortage of available automobiles. Additionally, clients should expect to pay much more for car hires than usual, as most rental companies have hiked their fares, just like hotels have also increased the price of accommodation. According to a report in the Gulf Daily News, car hire prices are as much as 125 percent higher than usual, in the last two weeks preceding the Grand Prix.

Hertz, one of the largest companies operating in the country, has indicated that it will try to partially accommodate the significant rise in demand by actually leasing additional vehicles. Hertz also noted that most of this extra demand is generated by overseas clients planning trips to Bahrain over the next fourteen days.

While Hertz is trying to accommodate extra renters, Avis is now finding itself turning away clients who are looking to book a car during the Grand Prix. Budget is also adjusting to the new circumstances. The firm hiked its rates by around 125 percent.

Smaller, locally-run firms are also seeing a major increase in the number of rentals and smaller companies like Oscar Rent-A-Car have increased rental rates by approximately 50 percent. Some firms, however, such as Value Car Rental, have been much more modest with these increases, and some of the hikes range between five and eight percent.

www.hertz.com