Car rental fees soar ahead of Tet

Car rental fees have increased 50 to 70 per cent this Tet (Lunar New Year), according to car rental centres.

At My Man Company, the fee to hire a Toyota Corolla Altis is about VND1.8 million (US$100) per day, an increase of 70 per cent over other times of the year.

Meanwhile, a Lacetti increased by 50 per cent, and now fetches VND800,000 ($44) per day.

Fees for cheaper cards, such as the Kia Morning and the Matiz, have also increased.

On a normal day, renting a Kia Morning is only VND500,000 ($27) per day. Now, however, it's increased to VND800,000 ($44).

At the APT company, renting a Kia Morning is a little bit cheaper, at VND400,000 per day, while the Lacetti will set you back VND500,000 ($27).

Prices this year are even higher than Tet last year.

Last year, the highest fee to hire a car was only VND1.5 million ($83). This year, it's increased to VND1.9 million ($105).

Car owners would not cut down their prices even for regular customers, said Nguyen Dinh Binh, director of My Man Company.

Despite the high fees, many customers are still renting cars, as this year most people have nine days off from their offices. However, because of supplies, 99 per cent of the people are having a hard time finding a vehicle for hire.

Nguyen Hoang, a man in Ha Noi, could not find a car to rent for his family.

KA and Truong Giang companies on Lang Ha Street told him that they had no more cars for rent, even though he was a regular, Hoang said.

The My Man Company recently rented out 30 cars. Meanwhile, APT rented out its last vehicle at the end of last week.

APT has 20 cars for rent, all of which will become available after February 23.

Also, the Ngo Minh Company in Cau Giay District has no more cars for rent, even though it usually has a fleet of 100.

They would all come back after February 19, said a representative from the Ngo Minh Company.

It's nearly impossible to rent a car one week before Tet. At this time of year, it's the early bird that catches the worm.