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Among other things, TNC vehicles will now be required to submit to inspection, and the companies themselves will have an additional background check performed by the state of Massachusetts, as well as be required to pay commercial toll rates and face a 20-cent surcharge on every ride.
While the senate had previously debated a version of H-4049 that seemed to defer to the side of the TNCs, the Massachusetts House’s final version of the bill included much of what NELA has been advocating for in terms of augmented regulatory safety in transportation, though its top four issues—fingerprint background checks, TNC plates, 24/7 commercial insurance, and a five-year moratorium on non-livery-tagged TNC vehicles operating at both Logan Airport and the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center—did not yield across-the-board victories.
“We didn’t get TNC plates but they’ll have front and rear decals; no 24/7 insurance, but it was clearly stated that their drivers cannot operate on their personal insurance, they must notify their insurance provider that they are driving for a TNC, and they have to have TNC insurance; plus, their drivers are required to undergo a second background check administrated by the state,” said NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi.
He added that, when compared to regulatory battles like those in Rhode Island, the recent law is a considerable success.
“We had a staunch supporter in the Rhode Island State House and we had a great House bill—it was the best bill I’ve seen. Period,” Szilagyi said. “It called for fingerprinting and even limited the number of on-demand drivers before a TNC company had to pay additional monies to the state; on the Senate side, the governor told the senator to drop the Uber bill and, at the end of the day, our House and our guy rolled over to the Senate. So in Rhode Island, you now have a 100-percent Uber bill—thankfully, that did not happen in Massachusetts.”
Besides, Szilagyi says that NELA hasn’t “lost the Logan Airport battle yet,” as Massachusetts Port Authority (or Massport), which owns and operates three Massachusetts airports, including Logan, is not currently restricting TNC activity to and from them—but the port authority does have a decision to make in terms of operating authority.
The next wave of fights in Massachusetts will focus on fingerprinting for all transportation providers once the next legislative session begins, as well continue to seek action to mitigate TNCs operating at both Logan and the new convention center.
“We have to continue talking with Massport now because the Logan Airport and the convention center issue is really important to our taxi brothers,” Szilagyi said. “We wanted a five-year moratorium so TNCs could not pick up at either location. It’s a fairness issue: Taxi medallions helped support the building of the new convention center.”
NELA’s next event will be the George Colarullo Memorial Golf Tournament August 16, and its quarterly membership meeting will be September 13.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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Dallas — Premier Transportation of Dallas recently announced staff changes and additions that will better enable the company to meet the growth and business challenges in its 20th year of operation. Premier now has a fleet of almost 100 vehicles, one of the largest in the U.S. As the company continues to add chauffeurs, office staff, and vehicles, Premier has recently made some organizational changes, including the addition of a new global sales director.
“Our company is growing and expanding our global customer and affiliate base, and we’ve recognized the need to adjust our management team to meet these needs more effectively,” notes Eric Devlin, Premier founder and president. “We’re excited to celebrate our 20th anniversary in August, and very proud of the loyal customer base we’ve built over the years.”
The following staff represent promotions, position changes or new hires to help Premier serve its growing customer base.
Lori Clark, Director of Global Sales Clark is a recent addition to the team, bringing over 25 years of hospitality and 10 years of ground transportation expertise to her position in global sales. She will work to create interest, demand, and recognition for Premier with large corporate entities, enabling the company to expand its global reach. She will also develop and manage strategic partnerships to promote Premier in growing markets all over the world. |
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Corey Witzel, Affiliates Manager and Special Projects Witzel has been reassigned to focus more of his energies on growing and managing Premier’s extensive global team of affiliates. He has been a part of Premier’s management team since 2006, with duties including accounting, IT management, and facilities management. In this new role, he will continue to develop, nurture, and maintain worldwide affiliate relationships (including invoicing). |
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Ted Hernandez, Operations/Motor Coach Manager Hernandez started with Premier in 2004, and his extensive background in all facets of the ground transportation business makes him a valuable member of the company’s management team, according to Devlin. With the recent addition of five motorcoaches, he has taken on the responsibility of managing all aspects of this new segment. He also directs the management of the dispatch and groups departments, as well as all DOT compliance. |
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Vicki Stanberry, Groups Manager Stanberry has been recently promoted to groups manager, based on her extensive background in corporate transportation with Premier over the past few years. She manages the daily operation of the groups department, and supports the sales team with pricing for group moves and RFP responses. She also develops and maintains processes and logistics to maximize the transportation efficiency of large group events with her staff. |
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Kristy Peek, Accounting Manager Peek has recently rejoined the staff of Premier after working in another industry for several years. She has taken over the accounting duties and will manage both the accounts payable and accounts receivable functions. |
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Driving its business forward is the company's "miRide later" option, which the company calls a sophisticated, flexible, book-in-advance option. Catering to those that aren't concerned about a ride in minutes, miRide later takes the tension out of their day with the reliability and connectivity of a pre-arranged pick up for an arrival in style.
"With miRide later, you have the power to pre-book hours, days, even weeks, in advance for your daily business destinations, shopping, evenings out, or for airport pick up or drop off, with safety, comfort and convenience," said JC Carey, miRide co-founder and managing partner. " MiRide later is being lauded and embraced by the business savvy and travel planners for its accessible booking tool via website, corporate vertical, or app, and its seamless technology that delivers real-time service monitoring, including automatic text message updates regarding driver status and vehicle location," Carey added.
Also coming to the miRide platform is miKids, a safe and secure transportation service for tweens and teens. Tailored to help simplify the lives of working parents, miKids safely transports children to and from school, after school activities, sports practice, playdates or anywhere your kids need to be.
"MiKids is a safe, affordable pre-scheduled transportation alternative that allows parents to wheel around the stress of their demanding schedules. MiKids facilitates their childrens' back and forth needs with reliability, dependability, safety and security." Carey explained. "MiKids shares the same highest, safety-serious miRide standard of transporting only in best in class vehicles, with fully-vetted and stringently screened, professional licensed chauffeurs with stellar driving records. MiRide will safely pick up and deliver children according to parents' specific instructions, commuting children with real time updates and tracking of vehicle location with an ability to talk to the driver directly. MiKids offers safety and convenience while providing parents peace of mind."
Visit miride.com for more information.
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