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VLA Executive Director Philip Jagiela (left) and DFHV Director Ernest ChrappahWashington, D.C. — On February 13, the Government of the District of Columbia’s Department of For-Hire Vehicles (DFHV) invited members of the Virginia Limousine Association (VLA) to its annual meeting before D.C.’s city council. The hearing serves as a report card of sorts to determine how the agency is performing, and VLA’s Executive Director Philip Jagiela—who also serves as CD’s Industry & Brand Ambassador—provided a testimony on behalf of the livery association.
And it was a largely successful endeavor that showed that the district is listening to the operators working under its jurisdiction.
“Our industry regularly attempts to meet with legislators, regulators and airport officials and are often given a deaf ear,” Jagiela said. “That has not been the case for the VLA.”
He added that most participants were from the general public addressing their challenges while also expressing their “pleasure in dealing with the DFHV.”
During his opportunity to speak, Jagiela acknowledged the promising “new direction, efforts, and successes the VLA has experienced while working with Director [Ernest] Chrappah since September 2016.” He also addressed the member-provided feedback from the VLA regarding areas the DFHV would do well to improve, such as enforcement limitations, a lack of renewal notifications for District Operating privilege stickers, and how a lack of access to staging areas often lead to loitering violations.
Jagiela believes this is “a first for any regulatory agency to want stakeholders to speak about their business relationship,” and found both the opportunity and the DFHV’s willingness to hear about its successes as well as its deficiencies an optimistic development.
The next VLA meeting will be April 2.
Visit vla-limo.org for more information.
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The National Limousine Association’s (NLA’s) Ride Responsibly initiative partnered with nonprofit organization Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE) to produce a public service campaign starring actress, activist, and sexual violence survivor Pamela Anderson.
The PSA, which can be viewed at youtu.be/bb9ZxP4rgSk, draws attention to the vast number of sexual assaults that have occurred in ride-hailing vehicles and questions if these were caused by insufficient background check procedures. It serves as a call to action following alarming revelations of sexual harassment and assault that reach far beyond Hollywood and Washington, D.C.
NLA President
Gary Buffo Titled "The Signs," the video is Anderson’s second PSA for the Ride Responsibly initiative, and comes on the heels of the #MeToo movement. It is a stark reminder that even getting from point A to B comes with a risk.
"The astounding number of tweets that referenced #MeToo and #uber was absolutely frightening, and disheartening to say the least," said NLA President Gary Buffo. "It is time to recognize that these services are simply unsafe and pose an inherent threat to anyone using them, due to the blatantly insufficient background checks that transportation network companies (TNCs) use. Our partner, PAVE, has been instrumental in our campaign to inform the public about the dangers these services pose. Together, we are actively working to compel safety measures that will prevent these crimes."
Angela Rose
of PAVE For more than 20 years, PAVE and its founder/director Angela Rose have been committed to both sexual harassment and assault prevention and recovery. Through its support, social advocacy, training, and education programs, PAVE is leading the way and tackling these issues head on in the hopes of minimizing their occurrences and impact.
"Through our work with survivors, we have always been aware that cases of sexual assault and harassment can occur just about anywhere," Rose said. "Unfortunately, this now includes ride-hail apps such as Uber and Lyft, which is why we have partnered with the National Limousine Association and Pamela Anderson. It is critical that everyone be made aware of the risks associated with ride-hailing apps, and PAVE is excited to support this campaign with best practices and tangible safety tips. It’s important to note that no matter how many safety tips you practice, it is never your fault if someone harms you."
Visit rideresponsibly.org and limo.org to learn more about the Ride Responsibly initiative and the NLA, respectively. Visit pavingtheway.net to learn more about PAVE.
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Corporate Account Executive Carl RestivoLake Success, N.Y. — Access Commercial Capital, a division of United Leasing and Finance, has recently added Carl Restivo as a corporate account executive.
Restivo will leverage his existing customer base to expand Access’ originations in the transportation finance market. “I look forward to continuing to create effective financial solutions for customers I have known and served for many years.” he said.
Prior to joining Access, Restivo served in senior sales positions within the bus sales industry. “It’s exciting to hire talent that has a proven commitment to the industry and our customers,” said Eric Coolbaugh, vice president of sales at Access. “Carl’s extensive experience and understanding will ensure that our markets are well-served as we continue to grow our sales division,” he added.
Restivo will be based in Saratoga Springs, New York and will report directly to Coolbaugh. “We are pleased that Carl is bringing his considerable experience and stellar reputation to our company,” said Martha Ahlers, president of United Leasing and Finance. “Carl understands our unique brand of solutions and service, and will add depth to our already outstanding group of sales leaders,” she added.
Visit accesscapital.biz for more information.
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