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Philadelphia, Pa — The American Motor Products (AMProd) road show continues to make its way across the United States. After leaving its California headquarters earlier this year, the tour stopped in several Southwestern cities, including many throughout Texas, and has been making its way throughout the Northeast. The road show—which features numerous sponsors like Chosen Payments, Classic Bus Sales, LimoLime24, Rental Limo, VMT Enterprises, and Create-A-Card—was designed to educate the industry on the products and services available, especially those through AMProd.
Through the end of 2014, Wendy and Dave Ward are meeting with operators in conjunction with industry events and association meetings. The next stop will be Wednesday, July 9, at 6:30 pm at the Lagoon in Essington, Pa., which will feature a dinner prior to the Philadelphia Regional Limousine Association (PRLA) meeting. Next week the road show heads south to Maryland where is will host a lunch at the American Legion Post 109 (Halethorpe, Md.) in conjunction with the Maryland Limousine Association’s meeting. The meeting and lunch will take place on July 15 at 12:30 pm. If interested in attending either meeting, please RSVP by calling 800.935.9135.
Visit american-motor-products.com for more information about their available products and services.
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When Uber (and soon after, Lyft) came to Milwaukee earlier this year, all hopes were that the limousine industry in Wisconsin would have the support of local officials. After some back and forth, the battle so far stands that a provisional license is proposed and that these ridesharing companies will be regulated—but it’s still up in the air on whether it will look more like taxi or limousine regulation. The June conservation at the Milwaukee City Council meeting was productive but any resolution was tabled until the following month (July, no meeting date available).
The Wisconsin Limousine Association (WLA) has been at the forefront. During its June meeting, President Mike Hartmann of Stardust Limousine said that he’d been hearing mixed reviews from the public about Uber. Other board of directors agreed that some of the feedback had been positive, especially with younger people because of the short wait times. But the public is taking notice of the increased traffic delays in some larger cities, and they are unsure about Uber’s safety regarding proper regulation and insurance.
In other news, the association is in the process of composing a letter to the city of Milwaukee regarding inspections. Hartmann says that WLA is requesting that Milwaukee accept the DOT inspection instead of requiring companies to physically bring their vehicles to the Milwaukee for inspection on an annual basis. With the passage of ACT364 (which was enacted on April 28, 2014), all limousine companies need to apply for and receive PC Authority from the State of Wisconsin. This legislation also brings the required minimum amounts of insurance to $350,000 up to $500,000. More information and links to the revised rules can be found on the association’s website at wisconsinlimo.org.
Visit wisconsinlimo.org for more information.
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In total, UMA operator members held 284 individual appointments at Congressional offices, having increased from 210 appointments at last year's event.
In their meetings, UMA members shared information about their own businesses and presented key message points vital to motorcoach operators. Message points included: federal minimum financial responsibility limits, preservation of charter bus protections, return to zero federal fuel tax for over-the-road buses, increased opportunities for contracting with local transit agencies, and a host of regulatory reforms that include due process for Imminent Hazard and Out-of-Service orders, and prohibition on third-party inspection requirements, local entity requirements for registrations of charter bus operators, and en route inspections.
“To say our day was a success is an understatement," says Victor Parra, UMA president and CEO. "The feedback we've heard from our members on their meetings tell us they had a great experience and that this is exactly what we needed to make an impression on our regulators. This day may not provide the instant gratification we have all become accustomed to in this day and age, but I can promise you, the messages our members shared all over the Hill today will have a positive impact as we move closer to the reauthorization of the highway safety bill."
The day of meetings concluded with a reception for UMA members and Congressional Members and staff. Representative John Mica (Fla.-R) attended and was awarded with the inaugural "Motorcoach Champion Award" for his unfailing support for the private bus and motorcoach industry.
"Our members were incredible today," said Ken Presley, UMA's vice president of industry relations and COO. "It can be daunting to walk into a Representative or Senator's office and ask for their support on our issues, but they rose up to the challenge and made a difference."
Visit uma.org for more information.
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