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Orlando, Fla. — The Greater Orlando Limousine Association (GOLA) held its most recent meeting February 10, which was attended by industry members from all over both the Sunshine State and the country.
As Florida continues to present a unified, statewide fight against TNCs, much of the GOLA meeting was dedicated to a report from Florida Limousine Association President Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service. Versace conveyed news from the Broward County Commission’s hearing he attended earlier that day, where the commission unanimously voted that TNCs should be regulated as if they were traditional transportation companies.
The decision followed the county attorney’s issuance of cease-and-desist letters to Uber and Lyft weeks prior, as well as county officials’ efforts to fine TNC drivers and impound their vehicles for failure to operate without the proper for-hire permits.
“Rick didn’t take a breath for the 20 minutes he spoke,” said GOLA President Cliff Wright of Royal Transportation Group. He added that Orlando also has issued cease-and-desist orders to TNCs: While Uber—which Wright reported has roughly 4,000 drivers operating in the area alone—“is still turned off at the airport,” Lyft and Sidecar are continuing to operate.
Wright also said that Versace outlined the efforts needed to take the TNC battle to the state capitol in Tallahassee, which GOLA has “already pledged to help with, financially and by sending up a truckload of members.” Continuing with the spirit of industry-wide support, Bill Battisti of Battisti Customs announced at the meeting that, for every one of the company’s vehicles purchased in Florida, it will donate $1,000 to the state operators’ ongoing fight against TNCs.
Chauffeur Driven Publisher Chris Weiss also attended the meeting, and spoke about the economy, the state of the industry, and CD’s upcoming events, focusing on the inaugural Executive Retreat in Nashville this June. He also raffled off a pass to both the Nashville retreat and October’s show in Miami, with Robert Wheeler of Wheeler’s Luxury Transportation winning the former and Wright winning the latter.
The next GOLA meeting is scheduled for March 10.
Visit getaroundorlando.com for more information.
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New York, N.Y. — The National Limousine Association (NLA) recently announced the launch of Ride Responsibly™ (rideresponsibly.org), an advocacy campaign to establish best safety practices and guidelines for prearranged car services and transportation network companies (TNCs), which include ride-hailing/ride-booking application-based car services, such as Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, and Whisk. The critical and urgent need for the Ride Responsibly™campaign is underscored by the results of a recent online survey conducted by Harris Poll commissioned by NLA. The announcement was made by President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Limousine.
“The stimulus for the Ride Responsibly™ campaign is the mushrooming number of reports in the media of incidents committed by car service drivers against passengers,” says Buffo. “The lack of standardized federal, state, and local rules and regulations for ride-hailing/ride-booking application-based car services have made it apparent that there is a critical need to enact and enforce reliable safeguards for drivers and passengers alike. The results of the recent NLA survey made it clear that decisive action, definitive guidelines, and regulatory standards need to be established.”
The online survey, conducted by Harris Poll earlier this year encompassing approximately 2,000 adults ages 18+, shows that 73 percent of Americans would not use ride-hailing apps if they were not safe, even if they were convenient. However, only 21 percent of Americans actually feel safe when using chauffeured car services including taxis, limousines, and ride-hailing apps. These results speak to how much passengers value safety in private ground transportation. The poll results further indicate that 88 percent of Americans believe that it is important to know if their driver has had a background check, and 81 percent of Americans believe it is important to have privacy protection from car service drivers. Results also demonstrate an astounding 84 percent of Americans believe that there should be set fares regardless of traffic conditions.
Ride Responsibly™ will establish voluntary standards and practices to act as a resource that equally addresses the safety and needs of prearranged ground transportation services and ride-hailing/ride-booking applications. The program will focus on educating the industry and public about regulations, legislation and best practices within the industry. The goal is to empower and inform the public at large, and drivers and operators alike with the necessary tools to Ride Responsibly™.
Visit rideresponsibly.org for more information.
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King of Prussia, Pa. — About 40 members of the Philadelphia Regional Limousine Association (PRLA) attended the association’s February 11 meeting at Maggiano’s Little Italy, which kicked off with dinner and a chance for all in attendance to mingle and network.
After a report from PRLA Treasurer Chris Haines of Michaels Classic Limousine, President Steve Rhoads of Rhoads Limousine reported on the Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) meeting he attended January 21, citing the experience as an impressive one that presented “a great opportunity” to convey crucial information between the two neighboring organizations. LANJ had appointed Rhoads as an honorary member of its board of directors in recognition of the mutually beneficial relationship LANJ and PRLA have enjoyed over the years.
With nothing new to report regarding the Philadelphia International Airport, PRLA members discussed how they intend to move forward in addressing TNCs. The board had decided to contact Jimmy Schantz at Senator Lisa Boscola’s office to voice their concerns about unregulated transportation companies, as well as meeting with state representatives.
Members had a number of suggestions for ways the association should proceed. Rhoads urged everyone to contact their local legislators, while Mike Barreto of Flyte Time Worldwide emphasized the importance of how walking the halls and giving a face to the industry in its grassroots campaign can offset the deep pockets of TNCs. Vendor Member Steve Edelmann of Royale Limousine Manufacturers also stressed that it’s crucial for everyone to present a unified message and front so the association is “speaking with the same voice.”
PRLA welcomed its newest vendor member, Harrisburg-based Rohrer Bus Sales. Rohrer’s Executive Vice President Ken Ellenberger spoke to the group and provided an overview of the company’s products, which include school buses, Krystal and Federal buses, and MV-1 vehicles.
Chauffeur Driven’s Show Manager Lauren D’Ambra and Editor Madeleine Maccar both attended the evening meeting. D’Ambra spoke about the events CD has planned for 2015, focusing on the inaugural Executive Retreat in Nashville this June. She also raffled off two passes: Tony Previte of Dynasty Limousine won the pass to Nashville, while Anthony Onorata of Anthony Limousine won the Miami show pass.
The next PRLA meeting will be March 11.
Visit prlainc.com for more information.
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