Car rental businesses request extension of contracts at Amman park

AMMAN — Owners of rent-a-car businesses who were based at King Abdullah I Park requested a five-year lease extension after their offices were closed down by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM).

A total of 30 car rental offices were closed on Saturday as their contracts came to an end this year, Ibrahim Khrais, GAM’s executive director for assets and supply, said on Sunday. 

"We gave them a one-week notice to find another suitable location. Since 2008, they all knew that this would happen so this did not come as a surprise," he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

Jordanian Car Rental Association President Abdul Hadi Tarawneh criticised the timing of the closure.

"Summer is the peak season for these offices and no one works during winter," he added. 

Tarawneh said he asked GAM officials to extend the contracts until 2017 so that they "can plan for their future".

He said the car rental sector is "important" for the economy, contributing JD400 million annually. 

Alaa Al Amad, whose office was closed down, said these businesses provide the majority of rented cars in the Kingdom. 

"These offices have 6,000 cars and the total number of rental cars in the Kingdom is 9,000 vehicles," he told The Jordan Times. 

"Where will we park our cars after our offices have been closed? It will take us a long time to find a new location. We need five more years," Amad added. 

"A total of 1,500 employees used to work with us at the King Abdullah I Park and all of them are Jordanians. This is a national investment and they have to look after it," he said. 

He expressed concern over his clients, as many people have not returned the cars and some customers' documents including their passports are still at his office. 

Khrais said GAM is planning to revive the park by announcing investment opportunities, opening restaurants, cafés and holding entertainment activities. 

"We cannot do that unless all these offices are closed so that people can choose where to invest. The representatives of the car rental sector can also invest so that the area is revived again," he added.