The National Business Federation of Vehicle Rental with and without Drivers (Feneval) has stated that restrictions on vehicle entry into the Balearics, which are already in place in Ibiza and Formentera and in the process of being implemented in Mallorca and Menorca, are measures that ‘criminalise’ the car rental sector.
This was stated by the executive president of the employers’ association, Juan Luis Barahona, during a breakfast briefing held on Thursday morning in Madrid. In addition to addressing issues such as mandatory quotas for electric vehicles in corporate fleets, Barahona focused on the regulations limiting vehicle entry into the region.
The car rental leader considered that these limitations undermine ‘freedom of movement, a fundamental right that should not be restricted’ and that they “target” a sector that he considers ‘essential to the country’s economy’.
‘The unilateral impositions carried out by the regional government and the councils are damaging to the country’s image, considering that most of the contribution to GDP comes from these two sectors: tourism and the automotive industry,’ he criticised.
In his opinion, these regulations ‘criminalise’ car rental companies by linking them to alleged ‘interference in the lives of the population in tourist areas, when the reality is that the authorities are not taking real and effective measures, such as improving public transport or infrastructure, at an adequate pace’.
Barahona referred specifically to the case of Ibiza and criticised ‘the delay in approving the final text that will regulate the system and set the final quota that will allow companies to submit their applications’.
‘The island council still has to assess and award these requests, which means that, in logistical and operational terms, the deadlines are already considerably delayed. This delay, in the midst of planning for the high season, is in itself a direct blow to the industry,’ he concluded.