Increased demand for vehicle rentals, food catering as families seek convenience this Hari Raya

SAVING TIME AND MONEY

Mr Jitesh Dhillon, director and owner of bus rental firm Singapore Bus Charter, said the number of rentals has gone up about 30 per cent. His whole fleet was fully booked over Hari Raya, and demand remains high for weekends for the rest of April.

“This year, demand is quite high, (compared) to last year… all of them want to be together in one place, and they want to travel together. Hence, I think this would be a more viable option for them,” he said.

Some car rental firms told CNA that they had to activate their standby cars for the holiday. 

Car rental agency Ride Now said that their rentals have become more popular amid rising COE prices.

“So usually, we have the bookings two months in advance, but this year, we are seeing the bookings come in earlier, like three to four months. They were already inquiring for Hari Raya (months ahead),” said the firm’s sales manager Travis Seah.

Families told CNA that high costs for fuel, parking and maintenance have driven them from car ownership towards renting on an ad-hoc basis.

Larger SUVs are the most popular rental choice during the Hari Raya holiday, followed by regular sedans.