The ANSR has signed a protocol with leading car hire companies in Portugal aimed at speeding up and simplifying the identification process of
drivers who rent a car in the country.
The new protocol will allow the ANSR to consult a database provided by car rental companies to make it easier to identify car rental drivers, thus removing the entire chain of notifications by post.
According to the ANSR, this process will allow “for a reduction in the notification time of the offender” by half, and also reduce “the costs in postal services”.
According to the Association of Driverless Car Hire Manufacturers (ARAC), car rental accounts for 24 percent of the purchases of light vehicles in Portugal, and by 2018 around 100,000 cars were rented during the peak season. This year ARAC expects to see this number rise by a further 7 percent.
Secretary of State for Civil Protection, José Artur Neves, told Lusa that it is currently difficult to contact drivers who rent cars and incur traffic fines or violations.
“There were cases of three notifications being needed to reach the real vehicle user. It was almost always an ordeal, however now the process has been simplified, ”he said.
The Secretary of State stressed that the issuing of notifications more quickly should help to encourage offenders “to avoid further successive violations”.
In the case of foreign tourists, José Neves said that this procedure will also make it easier to notify drivers quickly”.
According to the Secretary of State, the ANSR processes 28,000 requests for the location of drivers who rent cars and commit road traffic violations annually.
Maybe the car rental companies should pay "Pagamento de Portagens" for using Via Verde instead of keeping the deposit to themselves. I rented a car twice in 2015 and now I get charged 4 years later for the two times I rented a car with extra charge of course.
I can now expect further charges the next 3 years, because of using the wrong rental company (precious metal automobil, rimes with Cold jar so take a guess)
I love Portugal, but I cancel my trip in september. Been to the country 20 times the last 6 years, latest from february to march, but I´m not sure I´ll come back.
It´s sad that the first experience You get in Portugal is meeting a scam company.
It gives Portugal a bad reputation.
By René Christensen from Other on 26 Jul 2019, 11:13
Another thing is we booked into a hotel 5 stars and got charged for city tax for my grandchild he is only 7 and the city taxes can only be charge for children over 12 years old thats another scam they also running in Portugal
By leonilde britz from Lisbon on 26 Jul 2019, 13:14
Why does the Portuguese Government want to penalise tourists in rental cars? O lei de rotundas or roundabout law is utterly stupid and illogical. Every day I watch accidents and near misses at the Allegro roundabout in Setubal, caused by this insane law dreamed up by the Portuguese transport ministry. No other country in the EC has such a stupid rule.
By Geoffrey Ryder from Lisbon on 27 Jul 2019, 08:58