Given the growing litany of complaints about the car hire industry in Portugal in forums on sites such as tripadvisor.com, I am beginning to think that the time is coming to suggest a public online petition to the Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism, ASAE (the Portuguese State Trading Standards Authority) and to the European Commission Directorate for Mobility and Transport suggesting that the car rental industry in Portugal (and possibly other EU member states) may require investigation as regards alleged possible anti-competitive behaviour and discrimination against clients from other EU nations.
I read a couple of days ago that:
"Today, Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 on bus and coach passenger rights becomes applicable, providing bus and coach travellers throughout the EU with new rights."
I think the time is coming when a similar regulation maybe needed for the Car Rental Industry across the EU including Portugal. Like mobile phone roaming, it might also address the high cost of cross-border one way car hires in the EU and issues about responsibility for provision of services for payment of motorway tolls etc..
There are now legally entrenched EU rights for Air Passengers and now Bus and Coach Travellers.
Why not for clients of the EU Car Hire Industry?
