DHARWAD:With election fever hotting up in Dharwad, there is a high demand for private vehicles for rent. Most of the vehicles are now being used by the political parties and the election commission officials, and general public is facing a severe shortage. In Dharwad, it has become nearly impossible to rent out a vehicle and marriage parties are the worst-affected.
The situation is expected to worsen once the candidates head out for campaigning. Many vehicles have already been booked for rallies, which are to be held in and around Dharwad.Owner of a car rental said they are struggling to meet the demand raised by election officials and politicians, and he sees this crunch to last for the next three weeks. “Sometimes the vehicles are taken even if the owners refuse to rent it out. We discourage renting out too many vehicles to government departments because there is often delay in payments. During last elections, we were paid only after eight months,” he says.
G Gurammanavar, who recently got married, had to hire a truck to ferry guests. “We tried many rentals and cars were booked. But we were left with no choice but to book a lorry,” he says.Gururaj Illigear, President of Vehicle Rentals Association in Dharwad, said, “Though some owners see it as business, many hesitate to rent their vehicles for electio activities, fearing that rent may not be paid in time.”