Car Rental Firm Ordered to Return Passport

A court in Dubai has ordered the return of a passport that was kept by a car rental agent in lieu of apparent fines that had to be paid. The court stated that a passport is the personal property of the holder and it is needed for a person to identify themselves to authorities with.

The case came about when an Arab businessman Ibrahim Ahmed, said that the car rental would not return his passport. The courts ordered the Muraqqabat police to obtain the passport from the car hire company and return it to its owner.

The 45 year old rented a car from the company in June 2008 and returned it in May this year. Mr Ahmed paid the fees that were due on the car and then the rental company asked him for his passport. He was then later asked to pay over $1,000 in traffic fines that the company says he had acquired.

Mr Ahmed immediately refused to pay the extra money as he considered he did not commit any offences in relation to traffic violations. The car rental company then refused to hand back the passport. A court case quickly ensued and Mr Ahmed won the first and the second appeal hearing.It is common practice for some car agents to take a passport as collateral as they feel more secure with it than with a credit card number that customers can just cancel.