Taking a rented Goldcar vehicle to Gozo is costing clients an extra €9 a day in what is being labelled by rental car operators as a “Gozo tax”.

Contacted by this newspaper following complaints by customers over extra charges imposed by the local operators of Goldcar, operations manager Lorry Caruana confirmed the additional charge, saying that “under the Goldcar brand, all vehicles taken to Gozo must pay a daily cover fee of €9”.

Mr Caruana said insurance did not cover their rental vehicles on the Gozo ferries and “if any damage should occur while on the boat we have to fork out the money ourselves to pay for the repairs”.

However, a spokesman for Rent-a-Car Association said he had never heard of such a fee being levelled in the industry.

“We have received many complaints about Goldcar and the Gozo tax in the past and have passed them on to the competent authorities,” the spokesman said. “I can confirm that none of our members imposes such a tax or charge.” The Goldcar franchise is not a member of the association.

Gozo Channel chairman Joe Cordina said that cars are covered by insurance on the ferries. He said he found the idea of a Gozo tax laughable. 

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