The head of New Zealand's Rental Vehicle Association is calling for calm as the issue of tourist drivers reaches fever pitch in Queenstown.
In the resort to discuss a proposed information-sharing network, dubbed a blacklist by the media, Barry Kidd said it was clear the issue of tourist drivers was generating ''a lot of emotion'' and it appeared to have escalated in the last three or four months.
''I think some of the operators feel a little bit as though they're being blamed by some of the people in the local community as being part of the problem ... there's been a real change in attitude,'' he said.
''I think there's a fair bit of emotion and some of it appears to be probably a little bit irrational.
''Some of our rental vehicle operators, driving rental vehicles, have experienced the same sort of aggressive attitude to them - and they're locals, but driving a rental vehicle - people tailgating them, overtaking them in an aggressive manner and things like that.
''I've heard three or four stories ... `people are treating me differently because they recognise I'm driving a rental vehicle'.
''There is a real divide there and a bit of an issue that the local community needs to give some thought to.''
Mr Kidd said yesterday's meeting was attended by about 16 people.
Up to a dozen were rental vehicle operators and others were from the wider tourism industry.
Others were keen to be involved but were unable to attend.
There was ''strong support'' for a regional information-sharing network which would prevent anyone in Queenstown who had a rental vehicle contract cancelled due to their driving hiring another car in the resort.
He believed there was enough support to ''fix the majority of the problem'' in the district.
''It's not going to fix it completely, because there's nothing stopping them going to Christchurch and hiring a car.
''[But] we've got enough support to make it work and for it to be part of an effective solution, so we're pretty happy about that.''
The information sharing was already happening in Queenstown on an informal basis between some of the larger rental companies, which was ''surprising, given they're competitors''.
''There's actually quite a lot of co-operation and common interest there that they're quite keen to work together to help solve this problem.''
While there was a range of views on how big the problem was - nationally one or two drivers had contracts cancelled each week, of about 100,000 contracts per month - ''the feedback we got was that actually we think it's enough of an issue that we do need to do something about [it]''.
Mr Kidd anticipated the four-month trial would begin within the next fortnight once a ''beta version'' of the system was developed, updated based on Queenstown feedback.
''Ideally, we'd get 100% [of Queenstown operators] on board, but if we can get 80-90%, I think the others will see the benefit of coming on board at the end of the day.''
