During the pandemic ACRISS recognised the challenging and uncertain times for everyone especially for the travel industry. Whilst ACRISS was fortunate enough to be able to continue to support both the car rental and transfers (Vehicle with Driver Service Industry) industries and especially our members, it also continued to work on projects, services and develop standards needed during and after the pandemic and once lockdowns were lifted as travel returned to a new normal.    Travel will take time to return to pre-pandemic levels and has learnt to adapt to new challenges and requirements whilst also preparing for the future.

We feel it is important to keep supporting each other and keep working on our core business of developing and maintaining standards as travel resumes.   Our careful preparations have ensured, the association and its members are ready to tackle and adapt to any new challenges and requirements imposed on the travel industry and endeavour to set new guidelines and standards.

It is especially important and vital to us that everyone stays safe and healthy especially as the focus shifted from services to health and safety and the envrionment.  During the pandemic new measures were put in place to ensure the safety and health of both customers and staff whilst following all local regulations and law.   All our members introduced guidelines and steps towards ensuring they followed official guidelines, making health and safety a top priority whilst still providing and fullfilling its main service and customer experience.   Many of our members and associates have introduced health and safety pledges and new standards in response to the pandemic and its special requirements.   Some of the requirements and regulations have been discontinued since the end of the pandemic but others remain as standard such as cleaning and hygiene and looking at contactless rental.

ACRISS continues to develop and work on new standards especially around the booking process from customer contact details in order to limit customer and staff contact (forms and information sent prior to rental) to reservation guarantees, prepay bookings to online car rental check-in.

We will endeavour to update you any new measures and guidelines as they are developed with and by our members to ensure we provide both the consumer, user and the travel industry with the right tools and confidence to book car rental and transfers.

Important items that were introduced:

  • New booking requirements with enhanced flexibility
  • Flexible booking: cancellation and modification changes/policies and consumer rights and obligations
  • Local health requirements
  • Pick up and Return of vehicles - reduced hours, reduced/combined locations and limited staff during pandemic and outbreaks
  • Social distancing and health and safety requirements when applicable at rental offices (depended on country) - face masks, hand gel
  • Enhanced cleaning and safety of vehicles prior and between rentals and transfers - disinfection, inspection, checklist
  • Priority for essential workers and other designated workers
  • New legal documents or forms needed during and after any restrictions are lifted
  • Notification of all travel restrictions during and after lockdowns restrictions are lifted
  • Notification of any health and safety steps during rental and transfers (sanitisation, wearing of face masks)
  • Any new insurance requirements and driving licence extensions (EU directive)
  • New chauffeur and customer health and safety guidelines for transfers - Face masks, hand gel and no contact

We have also created with the help of our Transfer VDSI associates a Transfer VDSI Health and Safety standards/guideline for the Transfer industry, please see Transfer VDSI Health and Safety standards for more information.

All our members and associates have put in place their own health and safety pledges and guidelines. Please note these Health and Safety pledges, guidelines and advice vary by company and country however they will cover all mandatory and legal requirements applicable at global and local level.  

Our members and associates committed to ensure yours and their staff's health and safety:

  • Avis
  • Budget
  • Hertz (incl. Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly) 
  • Europcar
  • Enterprise Holdings (incl Alamo, Enterprise and National)
  • Greenmotion
  • Maggiore
  • Rentalcars
  • Amadeus
  • Sabre
  • Travelport

Any questions or queries please email info@acriss.org

Health and safety measures taken at car rental locations including social distancing rules

Full cleaning and sanitisation of vehicles between rentals and transfers