Information Regarding the Mandatory GPS Tracking System in Rental Vehicles

According to the new bill accepted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly's Interior Affairs Committee, as of November 30, 2024, car rental companies are obligated to install GPS systems in all rental vehicles.

According to the new legal regulations that came into force as of November 20, 2024, in order to increase security in the car rental sector and take measures against illegal activities, a fine of 99,896 Turkish Liras will be imposed on companies that do not install GPS systems in rental vehicles and do not record location information. In line with the additional article added to the Identity Reporting Law No. 1774, the liability of the players in the sector is now much greater!

A New Liability for Car Rental Companies: GPS Requirement

The new regulations made according to the Identity Reporting Law closely concern car rental companies. The new regulations make it mandatory for rental companies to install a global satellite navigation system (GPS) in the vehicles within their fleets. The records regarding location and vehicle information must be kept by the company owners for at least three years. On the other hand, it also becomes mandatory for businesses providing car rental services to record all information and documents regarding the rented vehicles.

What is aimed with the vehicle tracking system is quite simple: increasing security in rental vehicle management and preventing illegal activities. In summary; in the case of short or long-term car rental, recording the instantaneous location information of the vehicle has now become a legal obligation. However, these liabilities also bring a series of advantages for companies engaged in car rental activities.

Contributions of the GPS Tracking System to Car Rental Businesses

In order to prevent theft and fraud cases that may occur in the rental vehicle sector, there has been an obligation to register with the Rental Vehicle Notification System (KABİS) since 2015. This digital system, which reports the information of both the lessee and the rented vehicle to the General Directorate of Security of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Interior, continues to prevent potential grievances and facilitate security measures.

The same logic also applies to the GPS tracking system, which has now become mandatory for rental vehicles. Moreover, the introduction of the GPS tracking obligation in addition to KABİS seems likely to contribute to public audit as well.

Along with the GPS tracking system;

• The opportunity to share data with security forces emerges. This sharing makes car rental management more transparent and reliable.
• An advantage is gained towards monitoring the locations of vehicles instantly 24/7. Thus, it becomes easier to take measures and intervene quickly against undesirable situations such as vehicles being stolen or going off-route.
• The information recorded regarding the use of vehicles also makes fleet management more efficient. Businesses, which can track who used the vehicle and for how long under the light of clearer data, gain advantages in both time and cost management.
• If you want to get detailed information about the fleet tracking program used to measure and optimize fleet performance, you can click on the link and check out our content.

What Sanctions Will Be Applied to Companies That Do Not Comply with Legal Regulations?

According to the Official Gazette, businesses that do not comply with the new legal regulations and vehicle tracking system directives are expected to face sanctions up to 99,896 TL. However, the legal sanctions, which signal a new era in car rental, are not limited only to this:

• If car rental businesses do not store customer data in the specified manner, they will be subject to a fine of up to 2 million TL within the scope of the Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK).
• A fine of 49,938 TL will be imposed on rental businesses that do not report customer and vehicle information to law enforcement forces before the vehicle is delivered.
• The fine for businesses that repeat the violation within the same year will be doubled. In the fourth repetition, a serious sanction such as the cancellation of the business license will be in question.
• Reading Suggestion: Before examining the effects of the newly enacted regulations on the sector, do not forget to read our related content to get detailed information about commercial vehicle rental activities!

Effects of the New Regulations on the Sector and Security

It is anticipated that the new regulations applied to car rental companies will ensure public audit and security. Apart from the prevention of illegal activities by the state, it is possible to say that thanks to GPS data, the objection process to traffic fines issued inadvertently will also become easier. However, the issue of personal data protection and privacy does cross customers' minds. In the upcoming period, it is expected to become clear what kind of roadmap should be drawn regarding the protection of personal information between the company and the customer.

The reflection of the regulations on the sector, on the other hand, seems completely positive. Rental companies, which obtain the opportunity to perform vehicle tracking moment by moment, will also be able to keep up with the digitalizing world faster. Thanks to rental management that minimizes problems, it can also be clearly seen that businesses can produce safer and customer-oriented solutions.

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With the Hedmobil application, which has many pros such as route optimization, mileage exceeding notification, and emergency alarm, you can create a safer and more economical roadmap in your transportation activities. As Hedef Filo customers, you can install the Hedmobil application on your mobile devices to start benefiting from the advanced services of this application immediately.