- Details
- Category: Industry News
Earlier this month, it was announced that more than 8,000 Massachusetts drivers for various TNC outfits were disqualified for operation after failing the state’s new background checks—background checks that members of NELA lobbied tirelessly to have put in place to ensure the riding publics’ safety.
Of the nearly 71,000 TNC drivers in the state who were under review, the 8,206 rejected account for 11 percent of a driving pool already approved by individual companies like Uber and Lyft. The background check nullified the companies’ approval based on both driving and criminal records that unearthed serious crimes and driving-related offenses: The agency tasked with conducting the state-level checks since January found the banned drivers’ histories included worrisome elements like sexual offenses, drunken driving, suspended licenses, and violence.
Adopted in 2016, the Massachusetts regulations for TNC drivers are among the strictest in the country. The state’s legislation goes back seven years in a drivers’ history to check for “less serious violent crimes” and moving violations like reckless driving and license suspensions; however, there is no cutoff time for sexual and violent crimes or drunken driving with serious—or fatal—consequences, and all such offenses are grounds for immediate disqualification at a statewide level.
This recent rejection of thousands of TNC-approved drivers has inspired other states across the country to reconsider if their own background checks are thorough enough, which you can read more about at goo.gl/q0aHbi.
Regulations and operational legality were among the timely topics explored at the 2017 DATTCO Sales & Service Expo held April 13 at Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. NELA had partnered with DATTCO to deliver a four-session seminar that morning with each track—HR and bus ownership—comprising two classes. The industry beyond NELA’s region even helped guide the classroom component, with Dan Goff of A Goff Limousine & Bus Company presenting “Business Aspects to Consider when Studying Getting into Bus Operations” and LEADER Worldwide Chauffeured Service’s/PAX Training’s Bruce Heinrich discussing chauffeur retention.
Check out the May 2017 issue of Chauffeur Driven for an in-depth exploration of how NELA and DATTCO’s teamwork on this annual event benefited the expo’s attendees.
NELA’s next event will be its Chauffeur Appreciation Day June 8, followed by a quarterly membership meeting June 20.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
[CD0417]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
New additions to the WFLA board include Secretary Justin Nystedt of Crowd Pleaser Limos and Director Ryan Hilberth of Rental Limo/Book.limo. Hilberth joins Matt Clemens of PIC Insurance as a second non-voting vendor board member. Soon after the new board was announced, the group identified a handful of issues to address at the association’s next meeting.
The WFLA board voted previously to drop from seven voting board members to five. The association then voted to rebrand the group with a slight change to the WFLA moniker, swapping the original “Livery” for “Limousine.”
“I’ve always had to tell people outside of our industry that the WFLA is the West Florida Limousine Association rather than ‘Livery’ because most people do not know what that word means,” says WFLA President Jenkins. “We are excited to announce that we officially changed the name from West Florida Livery Association to West Florida Limousine Association.”
In addition to the slight name change, the WFLA board also decided to acquire wfla.org as the association’s new domain name under the direction of Hilberth. “At our last meeting, we did a quick poll to see how many of our members knew the existing URL for the WFLA and the results were disappointing needless to say. As such, we decided that we needed a more memorable name that would elevate the WFLA as we re-brand.”
On March 29, the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission (HCPTC) voted unanimously in favor of reducing local limousine permits by 90 percent for all operators, including full refunds for those who already paid.
“This is a huge victory for us and we’ve waited a long time to level the playing field by getting this to go through,” Jenkins says.
The HCPTC board also voted to allow for controlled surge pricing for special events including airport rides, sports games, and concerts.
Following the acquisition of a new domain name, the group plans to redesign its logo to reflect the name change as well as re-design its website in the near future.
The next WFLA meeting is scheduled for May 17.
Visit wfla.org for more information.
[CD0417]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
FMCSA had previously announced in mid-January that it was delaying any movement toward a final rule and preparing to issue a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking. However, after consultation with the new Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao, the Agency elected to abandon this plan and withdraw the proposal. A brand new rulemaking would need to be initiated in order for any changes to be made in the future.
As the American Bus Association (ABA) and many other commenters argued in nearly 200 sets of submitted comments, FMCSA must first evaluate and consider the results of the CSA Correlation Study currently underway within the National Academies of Science (NAS), before moving forward with any changes to the CSA program, including Safety Fitness Determinations. Currently identified by three “ratings” from FMCSA, safety fitness is indicated by the “Satisfactory,” “Conditional,” and “Unsatisfactory” designations.
ABA and several bus operator members were active in participating in the three public meetings of the NAS throughout 2016 and helped to provide the motorcoach industry’s perspective on the CSA program during their discussions and deliberations. The final report of the NAS study is set for publication in June 2017. ABA further elevated the withdrawal of the SFD rule as one the Association’s top priorities with President Donald Trump’s Transition Team and in direct correspondence with Secretary Chao.
“This is a big win for the commercial motor vehicle industry. ABA supports getting the bad actors off of our roads as the safety of our passengers is our number one priority,” said ABA President and CEO Peter Pantuso. “However, making decisions based on bad data is not a path that would result in increased safety or the removal of substandard operators. So it makes good sense to withdraw this rule until the data can be improved.”
As recognized with a direct excerpt from ABA’s submitted comments in the published withdrawal notice, ABA’s voice and the voice of the motorcoach industry was heard loud and clear by the new Administration throughout this process.
“Conceptually, the use of real-time safety performance data for making safety fitness determinations is a good idea. But the data must be sound, timely, accurate, and reliable. Unfortunately, the current data is just not there yet,” Pantuso said.
The ABA will be hosting its 2017 Capitol Hill Fly-In May 3-4 in Washington, D.C.
Visit buses.org for more information.
[CD0417]