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Morrisville, N.C. — The North Carolina Limousine Association (NCLA) held its September 17 meeting at Raleigh-Durham International Airport’s (RDU) Terminal 2. The afternoon included discussions covering both association-specific and industry-relevant matters.
Robin Luiz of Special Occasions Limousine & Chauffeured Transportation and Chauffeur Driven Show Manager Lauren D'Ambra
NCLA President Carolyn Henson of Prestige Limousine began the meeting by announcing that Lenora Bowman of Johnny B’s Limousine Service has resigned as the association’s secretary so she can spend more time with her family and their new addition. Henson also reported that City of Oaks Transportation owner Diane McLean, who has been filling in for Bowman, officially agreed to be the new NCLA secretary.
In additional membership news, NCLA Treasurer Vernon Gambill of Black Tie Transportation has recently purchased Blue Diamond Limousine, which will give his company additional presence in Raleigh, N.C.
Members also discussed the increasingly positive relationship that has developed between the NCLA and RDU, as Jorge Carrasquillo was on hand to represent the airport. Carrasquillo also offered guidance with concerns about illegal transportation companies operating in Asheville Regional Airport, who are transporting clients across state lines without Department of Transportation (DOT) compliance.
The conversation then turned to TNCs and the power of local operators uniting as a single voice against unregulated transportation companies. The association rallied together to send photos and letters to the DOT, which has since resulted in a single operator being fined more than $89,000 over illegal activities. Additionally, RDU has been citing Lyft drivers for illegally picking up passengers at the airport, as they have been removing the company’s telltale pink moustaches from their vehicles so they can conduct business without being identified.
Chauffeur Driven’s Show Manager Lauren D’Ambra attended the meeting. She spoke about all that the CD Show has to offer, such as its expanded Operator Mentoring Program, Affiliate Day, and Extended Stay CEO Jim Donald’s keynote speech, as well as the free shuttle service to and from Philadelphia International Airport. D’Ambra also raffled off a free pass to the show, which was won by Robin Luiz of Special Occasion Limousine.
The next NCLA meeting will be November 19.
Visit nclimo.org for more information.
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Orlando — The Greater Orlando Limousine Association (GOLA) launched a billboard campaign at the end of September. Its members are aiming to raise awareness about the dangers that TNCs present to public safety by operating illegally and shirking the regulations that traditional transportation companies must abide by.
President Cliff Wright of Royal Transportation Group says that the association’s messages are on 28 electronic billboards throughout the Orlando area and appear “roughly 150,000 times a day.” So far, the billboards—which started running the same day that local media outlets reported that an Uber driver had been arrested for assaulting a female passenger, who had recorded evidence of the incident—have garnered the association quite a bit of attention.
“We’ve had a great response so far. A lot of people have seen them and we’ve been doing a lot of interviews,” Wright says. “We’ve picked up a few new members because we put the GOLA logo on the billboards. A lot of people didn’t know there even was an operator organization here.”
GOLA also has recently partnered with the Florida Livery Association (FLA), so anyone who joins the regional association will automatically become a member of the statewide one. Wright says that the partnership was a long time coming since the two groups have frequently worked in tandem before, and was inspired by the two organizations both heading to Tallahassee last year in an effort to combat Uber.
“The FLA is going to keep pouring money into this fight. It’s hard asking single operators to keep throwing in money: We decided it would be easier if we could work it out so all of our members could become FLA members so the FLA has a steady contribution from us,” says Wright.
GOLA has also found an ally in Mears Transportation, which handles the majority of Orlando’s tourist transportation.
“Right after our September meeting, we went to a city council meeting about TNCs and, between us and Mears, we forced a lot of pressure on the city to have another public hearing, which will be October 13,” says Wright. “Everybody wants to voice their opinions.”
While the fight to get TNCs on the same playing field as regulated livery companies has been a long and frustrating one, it has highlighted the necessity of traditional operators forming a unified front.
“We have to stick together,” Wright says. “We’re all united on the same thing: Just make TNCs operate legally, make them get permits, make them pay for the same things we do.”
The next GOLA meeting will be October 14.
Visit getaroundorlando.com for more information.
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Chauffeur Driven Editor Madeleine Maccar and Michael Fargnoli of Precious Moments Limousines
Plainview‚ N.Y. — The most recent meeting of the Long Island Limousine Association (LILA) was held September 30 at Race Palace and included presentations‚ dinner‚ and a little bit of friendly competition.
The meeting kicked off with a short presentation from representatives of Vehicle Tracking Solutions. LILA members who currently utilize the service remarked that‚ while it has helped them confirm when drivers have made illegal runs with company cars‚ the mere potential for surveillance often keeps their chauffeurs honest. They also discussed how being able to monitor drivers’ routes for possible traffic delays and other unexpected hurdles is greatly beneficial to shuffling schedules to accommodate clients’ needs with immediate dispatches.
Chauffeur Driven Editor Madeleine Maccar was present at the meeting. After providing an overview of the upcoming Atlantic City show‚ she raffled off a free show pass‚ which was won by Michael Fargnoli of Precious Moment Limousines.
The meeting took a lighter turn befitting the jovial‚ casual atmosphere when operators shared their industry horror stories‚ the worst—or best—of which would earn the storyteller a gas card. Tales ranged from on-the-clock vehicle malfunctions to clients directing drivers to locales of illegal activity to nightmares from the retail side of the business. Jim McIntyre from Crystal Coach was declared the winner.
The next LILA meeting will be November 25.
Visit nslali.com for more information.
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