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On July 13, the Illinois Limousine & Bus Association (ILLBA) hosted another Coffee With ILLBA educational webinar. This session was of particular interest to Chicago-based operators and dealt with upcoming changes with the city’s controversial Charter/Sightseeing Ordinance.
Since 2016, all vehicles traveling in Chicago with 15 or more passengers have been required to have a licensed security guard on board. While the law was in place to curb violence seen on party buses (which were often unlicensed), it also held true for school trips and corporate moves. However, thanks to the new Chi Biz Strong Initiative designed to increase tourism and business in the city, industry advocates such as ILLBA were able to convince the city to alter the ordinance. Changes go into effect August 1.
- For trips with no drinking:
- Vehicle must be city licensed
- Chauffeur assumes role of security
- Working security camera on board
- Written trip itinerary and written safety/security plan
- For trips with alcohol on board:
- Vehicle must be city licensed
- Licensed security guard on board the vehicle (in addition to chauffeur)
- Working security camera
- Written trip itinerary and written safety/security plan
In addition, ILLBA stated their intention to create a safety/security training program for chauffeurs, which they intend to be simple and easy.
“We’re excited,” says ILLBA Executive Director/Secretary Paul DeBiasi of Chicago Coachworks. “This is a major, major accomplishment for the association.”
Sharing the excitement is Vice President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine & Bus, who guesstimated that eliminating the security guard would reduce booking costs by 20-40 percent.
Also on the webinar was CD President Chris Weiss who discussed the upcoming CD/NLA Show in the Dallas area this October 13-16. Weiss shared that the Show Education Committee is in the final stages of planning the schedule, and that the programming will be relevant to the challenges faced by operators during the last year and a half. The always popular Affiliate Central Global Forum was also previewed, as was the perennial-favorite Operator Mentoring Program. Weiss also mentioned that associations will be represented at the show both on the show floor and as part of the Congress of Associations roundtable event.
The upcoming Midwest Bus and Motorcoach Association (MBMA) meeting on July 21-22 was also discussed on the Zoom call. Being held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Elkhart, Ind., the event will include a bus rodeo, a golf outing, and a special dinner to commemorate the association’s 10th anniversary. Attendees can learn more by visiting the MBMA website.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
[07.13.21]
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Heads up, motorcoach operators: The deadline is rapidly approaching to apply for the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Program. The grant program was designed to provide relief to bus and motorcoach operators who lost 25 percent or more of revenue during COVID to cover payroll costs, but also acquisition of services; equipment, including PPE and COVID protection measures; continued operations and maintenance of existing equipment and facilities; rent; leases; insurance; and interest on regular debt service.
Full program guidelines and FAQs can be found here.
Application Deadline: The CERTS portal will be open for applications through July 19, 2021. To be considered for a CERTS grant, an application must be completed, electronically signed, and submitted through the portal by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 19. After the deadline, the portal will not accept new applications, and users will not be able to finish draft applications in the portal.
Accessing the CERTS Portal: To gain access to the CERTS portal and submit an application, a company representative must first register with a username and password through the ID.me identity service. Interested companies may register to obtain an ID.me username and password and access the CERTS portal here.
The IRS has also released a bulletin that addresses any questions that operators have about the grants and taxation, which can be found here.
Matt Daus of Windels Marx gives a rundown of the program here.
[07.13.21]
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- Category: Industry News
Vicinity Motor Corp. (formerly Grande West Transportation Group), a leading supplier of electric, CNG, gas, and clean diesel vehicles based in Canada, held a groundbreaking ceremony July 9 to mark the start of construction on the company’s new “Buy America compliant” vehicle assembly facility in Ferndale, Washington. VMC is a supplier of ABC Companies’ low-floor transit buses, including the upcoming Vicinity Lighting batter-electric bus.
The new facility, which is expected to open in 2022, will be VMC’s first US assembly plant for the company’s growing line of electric, CNG, gas, and clean diesel vehicles. Operations at the facility will include Buy America compliant assembly, pre-delivery inspections, research and development, as well as general technical work and servicing.
VMC CEO William Trainer led the groundbreaking event, which included ABC Companies President Roman Cornell and Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.
“Support from the State of Washington and the local community has been instrumental to this launch, and we are honored to be celebrating the occasion with the Governor of Washington, Jay Inslee. With their support, we are privileged to expand our workforce in the United States by adding an expected 30 new jobs to start with, and the ability to increase personnel as demand grows,” said Trainer.
“As Vicinity’s US distributor and close partner, we are excited to attend the ceremony, and to offer the exceptional Vicinity product line to our customers throughout the United States,” said Cornell. “Infrastructure, transportation, and clean energy have never been more important, and the vehicles rolling off this production line and into the fleets of ABC Companies’ valued customers will play a key role in shaping the future of public transit.”
Visit vicinitymotorcorp.com for more information about VMC. Visit abc-companies.com for information about ABC.
[07.13.21]