DFW Airport officials hope Dallas and Fort Worth council members will amend towing rules to stop business transactions for personal car rental app users.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth city council members are being asked to change the towing rules at DFW International Airport. The request comes from airport officials because of parking spots being used by people renting out their personal vehicles.
The Fort Worth council reopened their work session after hearing from the airport during a closed session Tuesday afternoon. Legal Counsel for DFW Airport briefed council members in Fort Worth about their concerns with parking spaces being used for peer-to-peer car rentals.
Right now, fleet owners renting their cars through apps like TURO, a national company, are basically doing business on airport grounds for free.
Reyne Telles, chief communications officer for the City of Fort Worth, has been in connection with DFW communications personnel about their concerns. Telles also shared that council members in Dallas are being presented with the same concerns.
“For the city of Fort Worth’s part, the proposed council action would actually give the airport the green light to begin towing cars owned by through what’s called peer-to-peer app,” said Reyne Telles, “Often those vehicles are utilizing facilities that are intended for customer use and avoid paying fees and taxes.”
Both Fort Worth and Dallas council members would have to agree to amend the airport towing rules. Some Fort Worth council members are concerned about how changing the rules would impact individual car owners trying to make extra money.
City leaders in Fort Worth could cast a final vote on this issue at their next full council meeting. Anyone who has concerns with the amendment can sign up for public comment. Fort Worth council members welcome feedback on the issue.
DFW Airport officials sent WFAA the following statement Wednesday:
“The DFW International Airport Board approved a resolution requesting a change to the Airport’s Code of Rules and Regulations concerning the towing of illegally parked cars. It will allow cars being rented illegally at DFW Airport to be towed from DFW’s facilities. It is part of an enforcement effort by DFW to prevent the illegal use of parking facilities for rental car deliveries and the evasion of both airport fees and state and local rental car taxes. The Code change now heads to the Dallas and Fort Worth City Councils for final approval.”