According to new reports, lawmakers are poised by the end of the legislative session in April to approve a bill to increase the facility charge to all customers who pay for a car rental in Hawaii. As of right now, the bill will see a 400 percent mark up on this fee.

Supports say that this bill, which will increase the current $1 a day fee to $4.50 a day, is needed to improve car rental locations in Hawaii. The government affairs specialist for Catrala Hawaii, Jim Stone, said that this will provide needed facilities that are long overdue in Hawaii. This new increase can bring Hawaii back up to speed with the rest of the world.

Stone went on to say that 100 airports across the country charge similar car rental facility fees to pay to improve their car rental locations. Car rental companies in Hawaii pay the state $30 million a year in airport concession fees but have received nothing back to improve the out of date and deteriorating car rental locations at state airports.

Car hire companies say nobody has to pay the $4.50 a day facility charge, because residents and visitors can avoid it by renting their car from a company with offices outside of the airport. Such companies like Alamo operate outside of the Honolulu Airport.

The fee increase would raise up to $500 million for improvements inducing a $200 million new car rental facility for Honolulu Airport. Stone finished up by saying that this timing is great, because in Hawaii’s construction industry, thousands of workers have been on the bench. This would provide needed jobs for them, as well as for their economy.