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After months of lobbying and boots-on-the-ground hearings, NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi was able to deliver some hopeful news regarding the region’s ongoing efforts to put TNCs on a level playing field with chauffeured ground transportation and taxis.
There are currently four ride-sharing bills under consideration in the Massachusetts State House, with two in particular that bode well for traditional operations: One aims to better regulate TNCs; the other is HB-3702, which was co-written by both NELA and taxis, and calls for the likes of fingerprint background checks, implies that commercial insurance is mandatory, and would prohibit both surge-pricing and TNC drivers from operating at airports.
Brett Barenholtz of Boston Car emphasized how critical it is for the association to both continue working with taxis and rally behind the bills—especially HB-3702—with continued lobbying efforts as they make their way toward legislation.
Once business was addressed, the evening took a turn for the festive with a comedian, music, and plenty of prizes. Pavlow raffled off Chauffeur Driven’s contributions to the holiday gifts with a pass to the CD Executive Retreat in New Orleans, which was won by Brion Svenson of Four Star Limousine.
NELA’s next quarterly membership meeting will be March 15, and the association will be holding a day of education close on its heels.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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Like in most other regions, operators in The Badger State are fighting for a level playing field, finding a common ally in taxicabs, and seeking the assistance of lobbyists in appealing for treatment equal to that which TNCs receive on a legislative basis.
According to WLA President Mike Hartmann of Stardust Limousine, chauffeured ground transportation representatives had joined the area’s taxicab association at the state capitol in Madison in the hopes of getting TNC-related amendments into then-proposed legislature governing ride-share operations. While WLA members cite one senator who pushed for more stringent background checks and vehicle inspections for TNC drivers, most of the amendments they rallied behind were ultimately voted down.
“It’s common sense that the vehicles should be inspected,” Hartmann said. “But the main thing in my mind was drivers not being fingerprinted because right after TNCs were approved in the state, a lady was assaulted in Madison. When the police wanted the name of the driver, Uber said, ‘Nope, you have to get a search warrant.’ It just seemed like there should have been, at the minimum, more thought put into this legislation.”
The association is currently revisiting its meeting schedule and looking for ways to reinvigorate its membership base, as all members on the call agreed that getting members more involved would help identify the biggest issues that regional operators are facing.
WLA’s next conference call will be January 20.
Visit wisconsinlimo.org for more information.
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Solombrino brings a wealth of experience having served in this role under the previous six GBTA Presidents. Solombrino founded his first chauffeured transportation company in 1978 before acquiring Dav El Chauffeured Transportation Network in 1984. In 2014, he was named chief executive of the combined operations of Dav El chauffeured car service with Boston Coach, with 1,800 owned vehicles, 3,100 employees, and projected annual revenue of $250 million. Solombrino is one of a select few to win GBTA’s Industry Icon Award and is a two-time GBTA Allied Member of the year winner. He is also a four-time President and founder of the National Limousine Association as well as founder and past president of the Massachusetts Limousine Owners Association. He has served and currently serves on numerous other boards as well, both business- and philanthropy-oriented.
Since joining Best Western in 2004, Dowling has reenergized the Best Western Rewards loyalty program, grown the brand’s market share, and undertaken several groundbreaking initiatives. Now at the helm of a comprehensive global brand refresh for the iconic Best Western brand, she was recently named the 18th most influential CMO in the world in the Forbes/ScribbleLive/LinkedIn’s 4th Annual CMO Influence Study. This marks her second-straight appearance on the list as she moved up from 27th last year to 18th this year and she is also the third highest ranked female CMO. In addition, she serves on the North American board for the U.S. Travel Association, and currently serves on, and is the former chair of, the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Americas Board and is past president of HSMAI Canada.
“I am pleased to welcome Scott and Dorothy to the GBTA Board of Directors,” said Johnson. “Our industry is undergoing a period of rapid change and it is more important than ever to have veteran leaders with diverse experiences, across multiple industry verticals, helping lead the way as the voice of our allied community. As the allied side of the industry goes through this period of consolidation, the ALC has been tasked with developing and implementing innovative ideas in the upcoming year to help GBTA continue to evolve as an organization on the cutting edge.”
Johnson added, “The ALC represents GBTA’s allied members by acting as a voice for the allied community within GBTA, and also works to assure a strong allied and GBTA relationship to address common issues facing the travel industry. As a volunteer-led organization, it’s important for the ALC to drive ideas that enable GBTA to be responsive to our members’ changing needs. As industry leaders, I am confident in Scott’s and Dorothy’s abilities and expertise to meet this challenge.”
Solombrino’s and Dowling’s appointments are effective immediately and will run through GBTA Convention 2017.
Visit gbta.org for more information.
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