Anuário Brasileiro do Setor de Locação de Veículos | 2019

10 Anuário Brasileiro do Setor de Locação de Veículos Brazilian Vehicle Rental Sector Yearbook 2019 The new profile of vehicle rental H istorically, the rental sector has over- come upheaval, including different financial crises, economic policies, cur- rency instability, external imbalances, high interest rates and the consequent lack of money in the market. We also went through crises of the automobile market itself, represented by times marked by the lack of vehicles in the market, strikes in the automakers and very long deadlines to receive the units pur- chased by the rental companies. More recently, apps led to the impres- sion that more difficult times for rental companies were on the horizon. We have faced all these phantoms that have tormented the sector and now times are changing. We have evolved. The mar- ket has, too, and today interest rates are more favorable to the sector. We are also the sector that buys most vehicles from au- tomakers and the leading supplier of cars for people working with transport apps. This turning of the tables is a source of pride, as we have been through hard times and remained strong, with continuous growth, year on year. Of course, we still face challenges. The new MERCOSUR license plate; the fiscal war between the states in relation to the collection of road tax; licensing fees; fines linked to vehicles and not to drivers; the wrongful use of vehicles owned by rental companies that, due to a failing in the traf- fic regulator and police’s systems, are un- restricted when in the hands of criminals. This sector is not for chancers. A lot of knowledge about the business and fi- nancial management is required. A lot of people who venture into the business un- prepared fall by the wayside. This is why, through UNIABLA, we are training entrepreneurs and their employ- ees in professional management. At ABLA, we have positioned the rental sector as the largest mobility player, as vehicle sharing is what rental companies have done since the beginning. I urge rental companies not to give up on expanding their business !The market is large and there is room for everyone, in niches and in new segments where there are opportunities .Rental companies are part of a complex mobility system and it is within this concept that we have to innovate, create alternatives and boldly look for ways to rent vehicles. Let’s think beyond what we always think. Paulo Miguel Junior President of the Brazilian Association of Car Rental Companies (ABLA) and director of the National Transport Confederation (CNT). We are the sector that buys most vehicles from automakers and the leading supplier of cars for people working with transport apps © Good Studio | AdobeStock ® ABLA