Member Article

Businesses Ignoring Olympic Van Hire Shortage Risk

Van and minibus hire companies are warning customers that shortages are likely during the Olympic Games this summer and that anyone needing to secure a vehicle should do so very soon.

Van and minibus hire price comparison website VanRental.co.uk has seen an increase in advance bookings for the period before and during the Olympic Games (27th July - 12th August 2012). Minibus hire demand is being driven by visitors from all over the UK who are planning group trips to London and other Olympic venues. Extra demand for van hire is more localised in London and the south east of England, where the effects of the Olympic Route Network and restricted delivery hours will be felt most directly, as VanRental.co.uk’s Roland Head explains:

“Anyone whose business takes them into central London needs to check whether they will be affected by the Olympic Route Network. Daytime deliveries will be heavily restricted in affected areas and operators may be forced to switch to night deliveries. This could create a shortage of vehicles in fleets where vans are usually double shifted, meaning that van rental companies will play an essential role in providing additional fleet capacity.”

VanRental.co.uk has been running a campaign to encourage customers to book early since August last year, but says that human nature means some individuals and companies will leave trying to book vans and minibuses to the last minute, by which time availability in popular areas is likely to be extremely low.

The website is also keen to remind people that Olympic events are taking place all over the UK in locations such as Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle and Cardiff. Surges in hire demand will be correspondingly widespread and customers leaving it to the last minute to book are likely to find that availability is poor.

Summer is always a busy period for van hire and extra demand this year looks set to exaggerate this trend, making planning ahead essential — whether it is for business or pleasure.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Roland Head .