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(L to R): Olga Spirina of Air One Limousine, Chauffeur Driven Publisher Chris Weiss, and Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments
San Francisco — About 65 people were in attendance when the Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) met on April 14 at the Embassy Suites, with Chosen Payments and GPD Capital Services sponsoring the evening meeting.
As the San Francisco 49ers’ home turf will play host to Super Bowl 50 next year, GCLA board member Joel Amato of Gateway Global brought in representatives from the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee—Director of Transportation & Logistics Kevin Solon and VP of Marketing & Communications Stephanie Martin—to speak at the meeting.
“They talked about making sure where all the parking will be, and what percentage of the transportation will be mass transit and how much will be corporate,” said GCLA President Kevin Illingworth of Classique Worldwide Transportation. “They were great and very informative.”
Joseph Lorden, an attorney with Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith, discussed labor law and the new sick-leave ruling that will go into effect July 1, which mandates that an employee gets one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours they work. He also offered an overview of the employee model versus the independent contractor model though, according to Illingworth, the bulk of his speech focused on sick leave and how to address it with your staff.
(L to R): Kevin Solon and Stephanie Martin of the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee, Ryan Silva of Epic Limousines, and Joel Amato of Gateway Global
Illingworth provided insights into the association’s recent legislative progress, as he said that the association is currently involved with 17 bills that are being sent through the House. AB-863, which the Assembly Transportation Committee unanimously passed earlier this month, eliminated the fifth-door requirement on vehicles modified before July 1, 2015, and pushed back the compliance period for push-out windows to the beginning of 2017. “That was a big win for us,” Illingworth said.
The most pressing current issue for GCLA is AB-828, an assembly bill that would allow TNCs to operate without commercial insurance. GCLA board member Chris Quinn of Corporate Transportation Solutions had testified against the bill on behalf of the association at an April 20 hearing in Sacramento.
Chauffeur Driven’s Publisher Chris Weiss also spoke at the meeting, covering topics such as the industry, the economy, and the recent Certify study that brought Uber’s threat to the livery industry into stark reality by showing a 32 percent jump in the TNC’s usage from March 2014 to March 2015. Weiss also raffled off two passes to the October Miami show, which were won by Olga Spirina of Air One Limousine and Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments—though Brodsly will be giving his pass to an operator.
Illingworth, who said that the April meeting drew a larger crowd than usual, was quick to give credit to GCLA’s board of directors for helping the association garner legislative victories for the industry as well as making its events so successful. “I wanted to commend Joel Amato and his team for setting up a great meeting in the Bay Area. He’s a first year board member and is doing a great job,” he said.
GCLA is planning to meet May 12 in Los Angeles.
Visit gcla.org for more information.
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Show pass winner Dave Erdman (left) of Executive Car Service with Chauffeur Driven’s Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela
Dallas — The allas/Fort Worth Limousine Association (DFWLA) held its first meeting in more than a year at the Hilton Anatole Hotel on April 8. Chauffeur Driven’s Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela was among the nearly 40 who attended the meeting, much of which was spent discussing local ordinances, TNCs, and plans for the association.
With current members comprising about half of the meeting’s attendance, President Richard Weiner of Carey Dallas emphasized that membership in the association is critical in order to participate in, be engaged in, and assist with DFWLA’s present and future initiatives.
An array of ordinances pertaining to operations in Fort Worth, Dallas, and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport were discussed. Fort Worth’s ordinance is being completely rewritten, and Dallas’s will be undergoing quite the overhaul, too: the current age and mileage restrictions on vehicles will be removed; the 31-Point inspection will be mandatory but can be performed at a number of approved locations throughout the region; all documentation can now be submitted online; and a revision to longstanding regulations will treat all ground transportation services, including TNCs, equally.
Additionally, the airport will begin accepting permits from surrounding counties. The parking fees it imposes on livery services will still be higher than those it charges the general public.
During the meeting, Jagiela spoke to members about Chauffeur Driven’s upcoming events and raffled off a pass to its Miami show, which was won by Dave Erdman of Executive Car Service.
The association will be holding elections at DFWLA’s next meeting, which will be in May with the day and time to be determined.
Visit dfwlimoassociation.com for more information.
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Chauffeur Driven Director of Events Lori Battista with Eric Bohn of EcoStyle Transportation, who won a pass to October’s show in Miami Beach
Morrisville, N.C. — The North Carolina Limousine Association (NCLA) held its most recent meeting April 14 at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), which Chauffeur Driven’s Director of Events Lori Battista attended.
After both the treasurer and secretary’s reports, the discussion turned to vehicles—focusing on where members purchase theirs, as well as new models and trends for the industry. In addition to comparing the new Cadillac and BMW livery offerings as well as weighing the pros and cons of Mercedes-Benz Sprinters versus Ford Transits, members showed interest in inviting manufacturers to a future meeting.
In light of current events, Detective Sergeant Eric Tellefsen of RDU gave a presentation on how to respond in case anyone finds themselves facing an active shooter situation in an office or public place. He showed a brief video (which can be viewed at fbi.gov/about-us/cirg/active-shooter-and-mass-casualty-incidents/run-hide-fight-video) that explained the “Run, hide, fight” hierarchy of reacting safely to any violent situation, and discussed how first responders are trained to both handle and diffuse a shooting.
Tellefsen, a retired cop, also covered what to do if a chauffeur is present during a situation at the airport. He advised that they should get out as quickly as possible, especially since the airport will shut down anyway, and that an individual should always take the opportunity to run in any dangerous scenario. He added that it’s in an individual’s best interest to not engage a shooter or assailant, unless it’s a last resort in self-defense.
A TNC update addressed how nearby Virginia has created a new legislative category for TNCs, and that all commercial transportation vehicles operating locally must have the correct permits and identifying license plates. While the area has seen a decrease in TNC drivers, nearly 40 of them have started playing by the rules; however, some continue to fly under the radar by shirking commercial vehicle requirements. RDU is reported to be the only airport in the area that is still ticketing those drivers who are ignoring regulations.
Before the meeting adjourned, Battista raffled off a pass to Chauffeur Driven’s Miami show, which was won by Eric Bohn of EcoStyle Transportation.
NCLA’s next meeting is scheduled for June 16.
Visit nclimo.org for more information.
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