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(L to R): PRLA Secretary Mark Barnett of Best of Times Limousine, Tony Previte of Dynasty Limo, PRLA Director Anthony Onorata of Anthony Limousine, and PRLA President Steve Rhoads of Rhoads Limousine King of Prussia, Pa. — The Philadelphia Regional Limousine Association (PRLA) held its most recent monthly meeting on April 8, which was sponsored by Brightbill Bodyworks.
The meeting kicked off with establishing that this year’s Monte Carlo Night will be held at Twining Hall again, PRLA President Steve Rhoads of Rhoads Limousine (who holds an honorary board position with the Limousine Association of New Jersey) discussing the differences in Pennsylvania and New Jersey’s TNC fights, and some association housekeeping. Rhoads also advised operators to continue speaking with their representatives and senators, and provided a list of key issues to serve as possible talking points during those meetings.
Mike Barreto of Flyte Tyme Worldwide also cited a recent study from expense management provider Certify, which addressed the “huge jump” in Uber’s percentage of all paid ground transportation rides in North America over the course of a year: In March 2014, it accounted for 15 percent of the continent’s ground transportation; in March 2015, it held a whopping 47 percent of that total.
“A 32 percent jump in just one year is extremely scary,” he said, adding that Uber also represented 71 percent of business travelers’ first-quarter ground transportation spending in San Francisco, 56 percent in Dallas, and 49 percent in Washington, D.C.
Jim Schantz, a legislative assistant from Pennsylvania Senator Lisa Boscala’s office, spoke about the state budget, warning all in attendance, “The governor’s looking for every possible dollar sources he can and nothing is off the table: Don’t be surprised if your industry becomes a sales-taxable item, too.” He echoed Rhoads’s call for meeting with state and local representatives.
Chauffeur Driven’s Director of Events Lori Battista (center) with Miami pass winners Mel and Don Marrolli of A. Royal Limousine “When you go speak to your local senators, remind them that you have enjoyed being a non-sales tax industry and your customers have enjoyed that, too,” Schantz said. “Urge them not to pass the sales tax that you would have to pass on to your customers.”
Schantz also explained that state government “hasn’t had to deal with a whole new entity in years” and touched on two ways that things could play out: Either legislation will have to recognize TNCs under PUC’s rules and regulations, or “Uber will cease to exist.”
Senate Bill 447 was also among the topics Schantz discussed, as he provided a summary of the regulatory, safety, and liability issues it addresses. Introduced in February, SB-447 defines the differences between livery companies and TNCs, and calls for stricter regulations of the latter to better align with the state regulations imposed on the former.
Chauffeur Driven’s Director of Events Lori Battista and Editor Madeleine Maccar were both present for the meeting. They raffled off a pass to October’s Miami Show, which was won by Mel and Don Marrolli of A. Royal Limousine.
The next PRLA meeting is currently planned for May 13.
Visit prlainc.com for more information.
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Members of the Kentucky Limousine Association welcomed Chauffeur Driven‘s Editor Madeleine Maccar to their April 14 meeting
Louisville, Ky. — In its last meeting before the Kentucky Derby grabs hold of the region, the Kentucky Limousine Association (KLA) convened on April 14 to discuss the association’s lobbying efforts, address old and new business, and begin planning for August’s 10-day state fair.
The association had previously hired a business advocacy firm, The Rotunda Group, to assist with the regulatory issues it has in regard to TNCs, and lobbyist Riggs Lewis provided an update on legislative affairs. The group has been meeting with local government representatives on behalf of the KLA, and in mid-May will bring one of its members along to discuss the association’s issues with the chairmen of both the House and Senate’s transportation committees.
HB-207—a bill that not only laid out TNC regulations but also recognized what Lewis called “legislatively brand-new territory” with a new section of the Kentucky Revised Statutes—passed 90-7 in the House earlier this year. But the specifics of enforcing those regulations and the authority to do so continue to be murky areas, especially since Uber and Lyft have been pushing back and launching local campaigns to drum up fresh support.
KLA President Carey Fieldhouse of R & R Limousine and KLA Secretary Kent Sparks of Lake Cumberland Limousine
App-on/app-off insurance coverage and safety education are the new TNC battlegrounds in Kentucky, and Lewis advised KLA’s members that, if they’re unhappy with something, “we can always amend a statute to any session we want to be more specific because, typically… a statute is always a trump card over regulation.” The next step, he said, is to apply pressure to the cabinet to have regulations put in place to the KLA’s liking.
The conversation then moved to association matters, with Jenny Summit of Xtreme Transportation delivering the treasurer’s report and KLA President Carey Fieldhouse of R & R Limousine inviting members to suggest ideas for fleshing out future meetings’ non-business content. Guest speakers, site visits to members’ facilities, and a trip to local coachbuilding factories were all among the considerations for future meetings to include.
KLA’s booth at the Kentucky State Fair this August was also on the docket for the monthly meeting, particularly in terms of what vehicle will be on display for the 10-day event. As previous fairs have proven with stretch limousines and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters drawing a significant crowd, Todd Roberts of Jaco Limousine Service pointed out that “the vehicle is a huge deal” when it comes to booth traffic.
The meeting ended on a light note, as NeVelle Skaggs of Skaggs Limousine & Transportation talked about how the TV show “Flip My Food” will be filming at his company’s showroom on April 24 for a segment about cooking in RVs.
Chauffeur Driven’s Editor Madeleine Maccar was on hand for the meeting, and spoke about both the magazine and CD’s upcoming events. She also raffled off a pass to CD’s Miami show, which was won by Summit.
KLA will not be holding a May meeting because of the Kentucky Derby, but will regroup on June 2 in Louisville.
Visit kylimo.org for more information.
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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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