Big car rental companies all booked up for Idul Fitri
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post , Jakarta
Holidaymakers planning to go home for Idul Fitri will find that most cars rented out by big companies have been booked, but small rent-a-car companies still have vehicles available.
Actually, people started to book cars for the holiday early this month. Millions of people seek every available means, from bus tickets, to plane tickets to the fast-selling executive train tickets in their bid to return to their hometowns before Nov. 25, when the Islamic holiday is expected to fall .
"Since a week ago our Idul Fitri packages have been fully booked," said Diana Sari, the Jakarta branch manager of Cipaganti Rental. All 30 cars made available for this holiday are accounted for, at a price of Rp 4 million (US$470.59) each for 10 days.
Toyota Rent a Car had already rented out all of its 100 cars in early November. The cost of Rp 4.1 million includes a car for seven days, insurance and services.
At Oto Rent, however, only five units have been booked for Nov. 21 to Nov. 30.
"We have 20 cars available for rent, and three others as back- ups," said Rosyanti, an employee there. Oto's Idul Fitri package costs Rp 2.1 million for a week's rental without a driver.
"Usually all cars will be out eventually," she said.
For Idul Fitri, people mostly rent cars to go to cities in Java. The vehicles are usually rented out in packages of seven or 10 days.
Car rental companies use the upcoming holiday as an opportunity to increase their rates by a range of 15 percent to 50 percent. If the rates are broken down to per day fees, they range from Rp 300,000 to Rp 585,000 a day.
The rental rates usually include the car, insurance and services (from some companies), but exclude fuel and the drivers' fees, (if they are required).
Some rental companies do not provide drivers at all.
"The drivers are celebrating Idul Fitri themselves," said a customer service agent, Retno Utari, at Prima Resa Rent a Car.
Those providing drivers charge a hefty fee. Arema Rent Car for example, charges Rp 300,000 a day for a driver. At Toyota Rent a Car, the addition of a driver means an additional fee of Rp 2.9 million for a week.
Although most customers request a Toyota Kijang, some people prefer the bigger L-300.
"There are 10 members in my family, so a Kijang is not enough," said Tari, one of the people planning to return home by car.
"Usually we go by train, but the tickets are already sold out," she said.
Tari will travel to Surakarta, Central Java, with her whole family. She does not seem daunted by the prospect, saying she will, "just take it easy and have fun with the traffic."