The Truth and Reality About Car Hire in Uganda
The irony of online business is you really do not get to see and scrutinize what you are buying. This always leaves you in a state of oblivion as you do not really know whether what you bought is genuine or up to standard. As we all know most car hire companies in Uganda operate online and ecommerce is the new normal for every business, but there is always that question mark among travellers especially first timers. Does the car hire service I am choosing offer what it really says? In this article we are here to paint a picture of the general truth and reality of car hire in Uganda.
Four-wheel drive vehicles are the most popular vehicles hired out in Uganda. Most of the Uganda car hire providers possess a fleet full of 4×4 vehicles for instance Toyota Rav4, Land Cruiser, Super Custom, Hiace Safari Van and 4×4 Land Cruiser hard top. The 4×4 cars are very popular because most of the clients who hire cars in Uganda are safari travellers and the roads leading to most national parks and other touristic destinations are ragged and not well paved. With such roads, 4×4 cars are the most suitable due to their combativeness and robustness on the road hence the phrase “built for Africa”
Uganda being a less developed country, most of the vehicles hired out to clients are second hand cars, with a few exceptions for the first hand vehicles. Most of them are made from Toyota Japan. What is mostly regarded as a new car in Uganda are fresh second hand cars from Japan. Also the car models in the fleet are mostly old. Though they are old model cars, they are the best cars to travel or drive around Uganda. Old model cars were made for rough and ragged roads and it is what the biggest part of the road network in Uganda holds. The old models are also of low cost maintenance. Note that most of the car rental operators labour to maintain their car well mechanically.
The car hire companies in Uganda operate on a small scale. Their fleet of cars rages from 5-30 vehicles on average. The owners of these businesses are mainly local and most of these companies are at their infant stages. This is why the car hire business offers semi standard and professional services. These car hire companies mostly operate online since most of their clients are tourists coming from outside Uganda though they have ground offices.
Comprehensive insurance is provided on the rental car. This insurance comprises of third party and collision damage waiver. However, the insurance policy is offered by the insurance company not the car rental provider. It is the insurance company within its policy to decide what to partake or act in case there is an accident of rental car.
While hiring a car in Uganda, a client goes through less paperwork. All the traveller has to present is a copy of his driver’s license, national id or passport and then sign on the car rental agreement drafted by the provider and then you are good to go. Some car rental operators require for the itinerary of the client to clearly state where they would be visiting while with the car for proper follow up.
Car Hire in Uganda is only operational within Uganda and other East African countries. Most of the car hire businesses only offer their services in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi. Beyond the aforementioned borders, they are non-operational. It should be noted that there are some formalities one has to go through to do cross border car rental. A permission letter from the car provider to cross the car over to any other East African country, COMESA fees also have to be paid at the border point. The hirer of the car should let the provider know of the intended countries to visit and they advise accordingly of the different documentation required.
Complementary services are offered to the clients. There are some extra travel services offered to the clients since most of the travellers hiring out cars from the providers are safari itinerants. For instance, booking of accommodation, national park entrances and activities on behalf of the traveller. Camping gears, baby seat and GPS are offered to the travellers at an extra fee.
There is a minimum age required for hiring a car in Uganda. Most car hire companies provide their services to persons above 21years, this is also a case for the insurance companies most times. To assert the policy, they always ask for your national ID and driver’s license to know your age before setting off for your journey. If the traveller is below 21 years, he is advised to hire a driver or a colleague who is above the age mark to drive.