The Tasmanian government has made available grants designed to help boost the number of cars available for hire by travellers to the state.
Announced last weekend, grants of $1,000 per vehicle will be provided to Tasmanians who register their vehicle as a hire car through the government’s new Hire and Drive Reimbursement Program.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said the grants have been introduced to help hire car operators re-establish their vehicle fleets in the state following the COVID-19 downturn in activity, and also to provide an incentive for private vehicle owners to sign up to accredited car-sharing platforms.
“Tasmania’s tourism, hospitality and events sectors are reliant on providing a high-quality experience for our visitors, and we want to make sure our guests can access what they need, when they need it,” he said in a media statement.
“What we’ve heard is that following COVID-19, many visitors to our state struggle to access hire cars easily and at an affordable cost.”
With more than 5,100 hire cars already available in Tasmania, Premier Gutwein said the $1 million program has the potential to get another 1,000 cars on our roads available for hire.
“Our visitor economy plays an important role in our plan to secure Tasmania’s future, and we recognise that driving experiences and our Tasmanian Drive Journeys are some of the biggest drawcards to our state,” he said.
“By getting more cars on the road, our visitors can explore our regions and the special experiences we have to offer, which is just what they come here for.”
Featured image source: iStock/AngryBird
