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One of the biggest pieces of news to come from the meeting was delivered by Brent Cagle, aviation director for Charlotte Douglas International Airport, who announced that airport inspections would no longer be necessary for for-hire vehicles.
“We would have our city and state inspections, and then when we’d go to get our permits from PVH (Passenger Vehicles for Hire), they would inspect the cars—and then we’d go to the airports to get our airport sticker, and they would inspect the cars,” says CRLA Secretary Laura Canady of CLT Express. “So for people with bigger fleets, it was a real hassle for us—and, of course, TNCs don’t have to get anything inspected. This eliminates the need for us to get our inspections done at the airport, so now, when the airport sees that we have our city and state inspections and have the right insurance, we get our airport stickers.”
As the city of Charlotte allows TNCs to operate without any restrictions, industry operators are appropriately concerned. On February 8, CRLA’s executive board met with Julie Eiselt, one of the newest members of the Charlotte City Council, who also inherited the chair for the Safety Committee.
“In the city of Charlotte, and only in the city of Charlotte, we have regulations,” Canady says. “Of course, there’s chauffeur fees, vehicle permits, and then company permits—so you need three different permits to operate in the city. Uber doesn’t have to do any of that because they now have this state bill and they can operate as a TNC by paying the state $5,000. On average, the PVH fees for a small local business can reach up to and probably over $40,000.”
Canady reports that Eiselt was very receptive to the CRLA’s message about operational inequality, but that the association is now waiting to see how the committee votes.
The next CRLA meeting is scheduled for March 2.
Visit mycrla.com for more information.
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Greg Pruitt, CEO of Kings Worldwide, remarked, “Opening a limo operations service has been in our long range plans for several years. We are very excited about the opportunity to grow the business and serve the industry in a more involved way.”
Joey Allen, COO of Kings Worldwide, believes the Limo Command service is beneficial to the owners of chauffeured ground transportation companies. “The opportunity to give operators a little of their life back in the form of peace is important to us,” he said. “They can enjoy peace from a constantly ringing phone to spend time with family and friends or to enjoy a hobby and just a little downtime, all the while having the peace of mind that their business is being cared for as if they were sitting at their desk. Everything is run according to their specifications, with speed and accuracy and full reports back to them on all activity.”
Allen explained that Limo Command’s staff is more than just off-site receptionists. “Our comprehensive training program teaches not only great phone skills, but also proper reservation entry, proactive dispatching, fleet and chauffeur monitoring, status updates, trip closeout, billing, and accounts receivable assistance.”
Visit limocommand.com for more information.
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The theme of the 2016 Expo was “Where great businesses are built,” and much of the event’s offerings catered to that message by helping attendees learn how to diversify and grow their companies while expanding their professional networks. Many of the classroom-style educational offerings focused on marketing, finance, operations, and even smaller businesses, while the bigger sessions tackled topics such as embracing technology, purchasing pre-owned vehicles, and passenger safety. For an bird’s-eye view of the motorcoach industry, the 12th UMA Annual State Association Summit, held on the Expo’s first day, where industry leaders discussed the Highway Bill, CDL testing, and a range of legislative and operational concerns on a state-by-state basis.
Networking was a significant component of the conference, and attendees had nonstop opportunities to get to know one another, starting with the first day’s Welcome Reception and including the UMA Expo Sneak Preview After Party, held at the World of Coca-Cola, as well as the music-filled UMA Leadership Awards Celebration that honored UMA members who have proven to be dedicated industry representatives. The 2nd Annual Go Motorcoach Fundraiser and Party was another successful event benefiting the Go Motorcoach Campaign, which helps increase public awareness of the advantages of motorcoach travel.
We’ll be offering an extensive look at the UMA Expo in the March issue of Chauffeur Driven.
The 2017 UMA Expo will be held February 26-March 2 in St. Louis, Mo.
Visit motorcoachexpo.com for more information.
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