New LTA and CASE scheme to benefit car-sharing consumers

Together with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), LTA has launched a new CaseTrust accreditation scheme for the car-sharing industry.

The CaseTrust-LTA Joint Accreditation Scheme for Car-Sharing Businesses (Silver) aims to raise service standards across the industry and address common consumer concerns such as proper vehicle maintenance, pricing transparency, and dispute resolution.

Under this new scheme, operators are required to keep detailed maintenance records for audits and ensure that every vehicle is serviced either every 10,000km or every six months (whichever comes first). Vehicles must also be safe, clean, and properly inspected.

Operators must also disclose all prices and surcharges upfront. Membership subscriptions and renewals must follow an opt-in model, and operators should not charge renewal fees when user accounts are suspended. They are also required to provide transparent rules on customer liability, including late returns, repair charges, and excess payable. They must also offer a collision damage waiver, providing users with a fair way to limit their financial exposure in the event of an accident.

And lastly, operators must acknowledge receipt of complaints within three working days and address the dispute within 21 working days of the consumer's complaint, subject to operational considerations.

Speaking on this, CASE has recognised that with car ownership costs rising, more Singaporeans are turning to car sharing. Thus, to ease consumer concerns, this scheme aims to give consumers renting from accredited car-sharing operators greater assurance of the quality of the product by simply looking out for the CaseTrust mark.