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This year’s expo, the main sponsor of which was Ford Lincoln Limousine and Livery Vehicles, boasted a Ride the Wave theme and had expo-goers decked out in their most tubular tropical attire to celebrate the association’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
“Some of us were on our way to a meeting when I had mentioned that the ups and downs of our fight against TNCs were like riding a wave, which is where the theme came from,” says GCLA President Kevin Illingworth of Classique Worldwide Transportation.
The event kicked off with vendor exhibits featuring an array of vehicles, supplies, and services. Guest speakers also addressed the crowd, including TLPA President Mike Fogarty of Tristar Worldwide and Weiss, who provided an update about the state of the industry. Fire dancers and a cigar roller also added to the festive flavor of the expo, where Illingworth said that a good time was had by all.
“Overall, the expo was great,” he says. “Everyone enjoyed it, the information was tremendous, and the affiliates got to spend time together and talk to one another.”
Some special recognition was on the agenda, too, as Craig Hall of The Lincoln Motor Company was honored for his 10 years of loyal support, and Ron Stein of Exclusive Sedan Service received the GCLA’s first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Ron works so hard for our industry, for the GCLA, for the NLA, and to raise money for the Harold Berkman Memorial Fund, and he’s passed that torch onto his son Brandan,” Illingworth says. “It was nice to recognize someone who is dedicated to making sure that the future’s secure for their children and also for our industry.”
In other recent news, the GCLA hired Executive Director Tom Garrett of Garrett & Associates on September 1 to both manage the goings-on of the association and make sure that it is “available 24/7 to the membership base.”
“It was getting difficult to manage the association while also managing our companies, so the board voted to bring in an executive director,” says Illingworth. “Part of the deal is for him to build membership and come up with new ideas for us to show the members what we’re doing for them. We’re going to make sure that our minutes and everything else we do are transparent.”
Next up for the GCLA are its northern California meeting, which will be held December 8 in Napa, and its annual meeting and holiday party on December 15 in Los Angeles.
Visit the association’s newly redesigned site at gcla.org for more information.
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WFLA President Dave Shaw of Network Limousine opened the meeting by discussing the NLA’s upcoming elections to fill five expiring seats, as well as its recent board meeting in Washington, D.C. His president’s report also included an announcement that the association will not only have its own booth at the Chauffeur Driven Show in Miami but also participate in the Florida Limousine Association meeting on the show’s second day.
Jagiela then spoke about Chauffeur Driven’s involvement in and dedication to the industry. He also provided industry-wide updates, elaborating on variations in TNC regulations throughout the country and talking about why certain states have become more receptive to ride-hailing services.
Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission (HCPTC) Executive Director Kyle Cockream was also on hand to discuss a number of ongoing issues specific to the West Florida region. As Hillsborough County is locked in its own battle with ride-sharing companies, the fight has begun affecting local sectors beyond ground transportation: The Tampa International Airport alone has spent $500,000 on an injunction against TNCs.
Cockream assured the WFLA that the HCPTC “will not selectively enforce” ticketing, allaying concerns that traditional operators would be penalized when TNCs are not—though TNCs are still being ticketed at the airport and their drivers can be arrested for trespassing. He outlined the number of bills that have been introduced and explained the approval process, adding that Senator Jeff Brandes has been their biggest proponent. In an effort to make WFLA members aware of who is supporting either their industry or TNCs, Cockream suggested requesting transcriptions from any relevant meeting through the Open Public Records Act.
The next WFLA meeting is November 18, though the association may schedule a conference call for October if members feel there’s a need for it.
Visit wflatampa.com for more information.
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Denver — The Colorado Limousine Association (CLA) held its most recent bimonthly meeting September 15 at The Timbers. The association is in the midst of a growth period, which is reflected by its recent public relations initiative to increase visibility through social media, a membership newsletter, and a redesigned website.
That push to publicize CLA’s professional image was among the meeting’s key topics. After a presentation from the event’s sponsor Grech Motors and reports from each of the association’s committee chairs, much of the evening’s conversation was dedicated to legislative matters. CLA representatives are currently working with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to hammer out how—if at all—they want to be regulated differently from TNCs.
“Right now, our legislative committee is determining whether luxury limousines in Colorado want to be regulated comparably to TNCs,” says CLA Treasurer Mary Norby of Carey Denver. “The TNC rules are getting ready to be released, and this is our opportunity to figure out if we want to have things like higher insurance requirements, newer vehicles, or stricter barriers to entry.”
While some members want baseline regulations for chauffeured ground transportation to be determined on a company-by-company basis, Shane Stickel of Presidential Worldwide Transportation, the association’s president, believes that a unified front is more beneficial to the region’s operators.
“I’d like us to be on a higher level than the TNCs so we can sell that,” he says. “This is our chance to say why we’re different from TNCs.”
This working relationship comes less than a year after the CLA and PUC had settled on a regulatory compromise that was largely analogous of what Colorado operators thought would be a favorable ruling—until Gov. John Hickenlooper put the kibosh on it and sent the PUC back to the drawing board. Since then, Stickel describes the state’s TNC scene as becoming a free-for-all.
Regionally specific issues that Colorado operators face include one relegated entirely to Denver, as its Department of Excise and Licenses requires all chauffeurs driving a commercial for-hire vehicle on the city’s streets to have a herdic license. According to Stickel, the longtime law has been creating confusion for anyone doing pickups and drop-offs in the city. A taxi and limousine council has been working with the department to address the rule, with the help of its director Stacie Loucks.
“It’s on the agenda for this year to, at minimum, figure out exactly who needs the license and to have clearer definitions around that,” Stickel says. “The ultimate goal is to eliminate it for limousine operators because it really doesn’t serve a purpose for us.”
The next meeting of the CLA is scheduled for November 17.
Visit cololimo.org for more information.
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