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The American Bus Association (ABA) announced it has launched a new task force as it works to help motorcoach and tourism members with the next steps of recovery after the COVID-19 crisis.
The task force will be led by ABA Chairman Don DeVivo of DATTCO in New Britain, Conn., and ABA Board Member Terry Fischer of Transportation Charter Services in Orange, Calif., and will be composed of motorcoach industry safety professionals. The task force will work with other transportation industry sectors on best practices to ensure the health and safety of employees and passengers.
ABA Chairman Don DeVivo
"There will be a new norm for the motorcoach industry when the doors open again," said DeVivo. "Everyone will need to consider all safety implications post-COVID-19 to ensure the safety of our employees and passengers."
The task force will work to develop a path forward for not only the cleanliness of motorcoaches but explore new methods and approaches that protect everyone on the bus to ensure that motorcoaches retain their essential role in a post-pandemic multi-modal world.
"We expect the end product to be a guideline that all in the industry can follow," said Fischer. "Our customers and our employees are now hyper sensitive to how quickly something can spread and it is our duty to help mitigate that."
Visit buses.org for more information.
[04.17.20]
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Recognizing the hardships that all industry operators are currently facing, and the importance of sharing knowledge to protect and advocate for chauffeured transportation when it needs it the most, the National Limousine Association (NLA) announced that it has deferred membership dues until June 30 for all new members who join between now and June. New members would have immediate access to “test drive” all of the association’s benefits, programs, and offerings (except voting rights until paid in full) at this critical time, with no obligation to continue membership after June 30. Operators can join here.
According to the association’s announcement: “This offering is in direct response to the devastating effects COVID-19 has had on the chauffeured car industry and is intended to provide critical and immediate resources to our peers in need. Especially mindful of not leaving smaller operators behind, this initiative is designed to unite the industry during a time of uncertainty.”
“Our industry has never faced a more challenging time than this,” said NLA President Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide. “Businesses in the private ground transportation industry are seeing over a 90 percent loss in revenue. It is the NLA’s mission and duty to advocate for the industry as a whole and it is vital that we champion the thousands of small business owners worldwide. We are all in this fight. Through uniting peers and sharing our collective resources, we will band together to secure government aid, mitigate the financial devastation from the novel coronavirus and get our great industry back on its feet.”
The full announcement can be viewed here.
NLA President Robert Alexander
The NLA leadership has been working tirelessly to keep members and non-members alike informed through its website and frequent Facebook Live sessions with Alexander and other industry leaders, the latest of which can be viewed here. They have been a vital lifeline for struggling operators looking for much-needed resources on the local and federal levels.
Last month, the NLA aligned with The American Bus Association, The American Ground Transportation Association, The Global Business Travel Association, The Near Airport Parking Industry Trade Association, The Transportation Alliance, and The United Motorcoach Association to sign an industry letter requesting $12 billion to support the thousands of vital companies being decimated as a result of COVID-19. It can be read here.
The association will also be holding a No Operator Left Behind (NOLB) Virtual Summit on May 12 starting at noon ET on the NLA’s Facebook page. The event will be hosted by Alexander and Bill Faeth of Limo University and include several guest speakers that will cover a variety of topics to be announced. NOLB is an added-value benefit for NLA members who are smaller operators (19 vehicles or fewer) to offer support and education so that they can thrive.
Visit limo.org for more information.
[04.08.20]
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The transportation industry has always been a vital component of the economy, but it’s never been more evident than during this crisis that operators connect their community to the rest of the world. That was certainly true for Colorado boutique operator Simon Chen of Eight Black Cars—only his “community” extended 1,700 miles and six states away.
In late March, Chen received a call from his client, Anne, who was concerned about her brother Bob. The pandemic has been challenging for just about everyone, but it hit Bob particularly hard due to his added health concerns (severe anxiety and depression), and Anne just wanted to get her brother to her as quickly as possible so he wasn’t struggling alone. Since flying from Colorado to Maryland wasn’t an option, Eight Black Cars had the solution: a cross-country road trip.
Eight Black’s Client Bob
Chen reassured Anne and guaranteed that he would look after her brother—personally. He enlisted the help of Senior Chauffeur Joe Mendez, who was eager to deliver Bob safely to his destination. After a thorough deep cleaning of Chen’s Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic—complete with WiFi and a fresh HEPA cabin air filter—the three (yes, Chen included!) embarked on a trip that traversed the Midwest and ended in the mid-Atlantic state of Maryland.
Even cooler: Chen and Mendez documented the trip, highlighting the scenic (and not-so-scenic) landscape and engaging in some good-natured ribbing about who was the better driver along the way. The videos can be viewed on Eight Black Car’s Facebook page, Chen’s LinkedIn page, and here, here, here, and here.
Safety was obviously a concern, so they took all the precautions during the trip: Using hospital-grade cleaning products for after fuel and food breaks, monitoring their temperatures every 6 hours, had gloves and masks on hand, and Chen and Mendez rotated two-hour driving shifts while Bob relaxed in the passenger cabin. And when they delivered Bob to his final destination, Chen says he had become more than just a client—he was a friend.
“The thing that made it totally worth it was the friendship we developed with our client, Bob. A nicer guy you could not meet,” said Chen. “It was a pleasure and a privilege to drive Bob. And even more of a privilege to serve people like Anne. We would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Chen was also inspired to help out his Boulder County senior clients who may not have access to safe transportation, or who need a little assistance with groceries. Earlier this month, he announced that he was offering a complimentary service to pick up their online grocery order from their store of choice. The delivery is virtually contact-free as the chauffeur will leave the packages at the front door, and clients can tip via credit card.
Visit eightblackcars.com for more information.
[04.14.20]