Updated Sept. 11, 3:15 pm.
Even after receiving a cease and desist order, Turo is still showing vehicles available for rent at Martha’s Vineyard Airport.
Geoff Freeman, the airport director, told the Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission at a meeting Thursday afternoon that roughly 40 vehicles were appearing as available for rent at the transportation hub on the car-sharing platform. That detail was revealed after Kevin Brennan, airport properties manager, recently met with a Turo regional manager.
The commission issued a cease and desist letter to Turo in July, which stated multiple car hosts, which included Massachusetts and Texan companies, were conducting unpermitted business on airport property. Last month, Brennan said that the airport’s parking lot was cleared of Turo vehicles after the letter was issued.
But among various demands from the airport included Turo removing all references to rental vehicle availability from its website.
“Which they did, but they put it back on,” Freeman said on Thursday. “Their conversation today said they can’t control their website.”
Turo wants to reach an agreement with the airport, but Freeman said the company will need to comply with their demands before discussion can be held for the next tourist season.
“At some point, we will be sitting down and talking with them,” Freeman said.
Turo vehicles also became an issue when they blocked patrons of the Plane View from dining at the restaurant, Geoff Wheeler, a commissioner, noted. Brennan previously told The Times that at one point a third of parking spaces were taken up by Turo vehicles.
A Turo spokesperson noted in a statement that hosts on the platform “manage their own vehicle logistics,” and Turo is “limited in the rules we can post and enforce regarding activity at the airport” without a permit. A permit, according to the statement, would “allow Turo to do significantly more, and work proactively with [Martha’s Vineyard Airport] and our hosts before [the] next season.”
“We are hopeful we can reach an agreement that creates new revenue for the airport, preserves income for local residents who rely on Turo, and ensures travelers continue to have consumer choice when it comes to their transportation options on the Island,” the statement reads. “Turo has been actively engaged with Martha’s Vineyard Airport and remains committed to reaching a permit agreement that benefits travelers, local residents, and the airport. We welcome the opportunity to formalize our relationship with MVY, as we have done with nearly 200 airports across the country, including large and small hub airports.”
Editor’s note: Updated with comment from Turo.
