On February 28, Idemitsu Kosan gave an overview presentation of its rental car service, Carsta Rent-a-Car by idemitsu, in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture.
Carsta Rent-a-Car by idemitsu will be developed in cooperation with Enex Life Service, which operates Carsta Rent-a-Car, and is scheduled to launch operations at apollostation and apolloONE locations nationwide (50 locations expected in FY2024). As the first base of the new service, vehicles will be available for rent from 9:00 a.m. on March 1 at Okinawa Idemitsu’s directly operated service station “apollostation Self Ichinikibashi SS” (274-1 Uema, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture).
Carsta Rent-a-Car by idemitsu allows customers to choose between “Raku Nori-Smart,” an unmanned rental service, or manned rental services, depending on the store.
In Okinawa, the rapid post-Corona recovery, including the number of incoming tourists exceeding 8 million in 2023, combined with the labor shortage and other factors, have made it difficult to keep up with the supply of rental cars, especially during the peak season. Although the monorail (Yui Rail), which runs from the airport to downtown Naha, was extended by approximately 4 km from Shuri Station to Tedako-Urasai Station in 2019, access to the central and northern areas of the main island north of Ginowan and Chatan is dependent on buses, cabs, and rental cars, and many tourists are actually choosing to rent cars instead of taking public transportation. In fact, many tourists choose to rent a car as their mode of transportation instead of using public transportation.
In addition, car rental companies have reduced the number of cars they own in response to the Corona disaster, and there is also a shortage of personnel to handle rental procedures and maintenance such as car washing. Carstar Rent-A-Car by idemitsu is a service that combines the advantages of 24-hour rental service by making procedures unmanned and the ability to wash and maintain cars at the same time by using a service station as a base.
On the other hand, by introducing a dynamic pricing system in which rates fluctuate from a minimum of two discounts to a maximum of double depending on supply and demand (in the case of the self-service Ichinichibashi SS), the company says it can offer more user-friendly rates during off-season and other periods.
Carsta Rent-a-Car’s basic rates include 2,000 yen for 6 hours for the mini car class, 2,500 yen for the compact car class, and 6,500 yen for the minivan class. The Self Ichinichibashi SS currently has three vehicles available for rent: the N-BOX (minicar class), the Sorio (compact car class), and the Freed (minivan class). In addition to this basic fee, which fluctuates according to supply and demand, Raku Nori-Smart adds a distance charge of 16 yen for every kilometer traveled.
However, even when renting a car at the airport, the actual procedure is carried out by shuttle buses or other means to the rental car company’s base, so the 20-30 minute drive can quickly exceed the time required if the airport is crowded. In this case, it may be quicker to take a cab and start renting a car unattended. The self-service Ichinichibashi SS also offers a service that discounts a portion of the cab fare from the rental fee. The average cab fare from the airport is 2,100 yen, and the maximum discount is 1,000 yen.
Mr. Yoichi Matsutomi, Manager of YOROZU Promotion Section, Sales Department of Idemitsu Kosan, gave an overview of the service, noting that although the perception of Okinawa as a car-based society has not changed, the way of thinking about private car ownership among residents in the prefecture is also changing. He presented a vision of the future in which “a car rental business that saves manpower” would contribute not only to tourists but also to local infrastructure.
Mr. Katsuhiro Tanaka, President of Okinawa Idemitsu, which operates the self-serve Ichinichibashi SS, points out that “the strength of SS lies in their location, space, staff, and points of contact with users. In particular, many rental car agencies generally open at 8:00 a.m. and are unable to meet the needs of customers who want to travel early in the morning. As Idemitsu Okinawa expands its business to 11 directly managed service stations in the prefecture, there will be many situations where the strength of unmanned, 24-hour operation will come into play.
All Idemitsu and Shell service stations will be converted to “apollostations” by the end of 2023, and under the “Smart Yorozuya Concept” in the company’s medium-term management plan, Idemitsu is transforming itself from a mere gas station focusing on fueling functions to a lifestyle support base that provides solutions to local problems. The company’s mid-term management plan, the “Smart Yorozuya Concept,” calls for a transformation from a mere gas station that focuses on fueling to a lifestyle support base that solves local problems. The new service will not only solve the shortage of rental cars unique to Okinawa, but will also provide users with the peace of mind of knowing that their cars will be maintained by professional service station staff, and that their cars will be washed and cleaned frequently.
© Source travel watch
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