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Boston Chauffeur Founder & CEO Mark Kini (third from left) meets with staff in the company’s new headquarters
Beverly, Mass. — Full-service luxury ground transportation provider Boston Chauffeur recently announced that they have relocated into new offices at 600 Cummings Center. The company’s new headquarters offers a more contemporary and larger setting that will allow for collaborative employee interaction.
Boston Chauffeur Founder and CEO Mark Kini said of the move, “We are tremendously excited about the move. This is a new chapter for Boston Chauffeur as we work to overcome the many challenges the business and our industry face in 2018.”
The new headquarters will also allow the company to offer a separate area for training and development, which includes an LCD projector, smart TV technology for educational streaming videos, and old-fashioned whiteboard for classroom use.
In addition to the benefits of operating in a larger space, Kini says the new location has already provided the company with an increase in walk-in business. The company has already had numerous bookings from walk-in clients since the beginning of the new year.
Visit bostonchauffeur.com for more information.
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New York — Following Uber and Lyft's recent responses to its public service announcement (PSA), "The Signs," the National Limousine Association (NLA) is renewing its call for legislation mandating fingerprint-based background checks and universal drug screening for ride-hailing service drivers.
In the NLA's PSA, ride-hail apps are linked to instances of sexual assault and passengers are encouraged to think twice before utilizing these services. Uber and Lyft have responded to the PSA, claiming that they perform rigorous background checks on all drivers to ensure the safety of passengers. However, as demonstrated recently in Colorado and Massachusetts, the background checks of these companies are ineffectual, and have missed thousands of drivers with criminal backgrounds and resulted in the dismissal of 11 percent of their workforce in some cases.
NLA President Gary Buffo"Uber and Lyft continue to evade the issues and questions concerning their driver screening procedures," said Gary Buffo, president of the NLA. Continued Buffo, "A truly comprehensive screening process would include a fingerprint-based background check solution, with the ability to find crimes many years back and across state lines. Additionally, in-person interviews, as well as drug and alcohol screening, are noticeably absent from the ride-hail vetting process, at the same time that our nation is suffering through an opioid crisis. It is time that all transportation providers are held to a much higher standard."
Through its Ride Responsibly initiative, the NLA has formed multiple partnerships over several years to advocate for stricter driver vetting. The NLA has also tirelessly advocated for the rights of ride-hail drivers, who are currently misclassified as independent contractors rather than as employees.
Visit www.limo.org for more information.
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LANJ President Jason SharenowNew Jersey — The brutal weather seen this winter in the Northeast caught up with the Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) when a snow storm forced a last-minute cancellation of their January membership meeting. On Wednesday, January 25, the LANJ board of directors went forward with a conference call to keep up association news and other happenings facing operators within the NY-NJ-PA tristate region.
Chief among the issued discussed on the call was the nomination of board officers for the 2018 LANJ elections. Each of the current officers was nominated to continue their role for the coming term. These include:
President: Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide
1st Vice President/Treasurer: Jon Epstein of Royal Coachman Worldwide
2nd Vice President: Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments
Secretary: Karen Gajda of Country Club Transportation
These nominations will be presented to the membership for an official vote.
The call began with an update from Golf Committee Chair Brian O’Neill of Grech Motors, who proposed a new plan to for the marketing and operation of this year’s LANJ Charity Golf Tournament. With the 2017’s inaugural event being a huge success (grossing more than $33,000), the board unanimously agreed to move ahead with O’Neill’s suggestion.
Next, Sharenow gave his President’s Report, which addressed the unfortunate cancellation of the previous week’s meeting. Sharenow also provided the board with an update from the association’s lobbying firm regarding recent legislative matters. Representatives from LANJ will be meeting with the firm in coming weeks to get some sort of resolution with TNC background checks as well as port authority fees. Since N.J. recently sworn in a new governor, the association also touched on the potential for a new, higher minimum wage.
LANJ Executive Director Patricia Nelson followed with her report, highlighted with the announcement that the association’s membership is currently at an all-time high, with more than 150 members. Nelson also provided the board with a bit of information regarding the NLA Day on the Hill on May 23 in Washington, D.C., and the upcoming New York International Auto Show.
Before the call concluded, Epstein provided a brief Membership Committee report that largely focused on LANJ’s next meeting in March, held at Englewood Cadillac. Scott Solombrino of Dav El/Boston Coach will be attending as a guest speaker.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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