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Her resignation has rattled an industry that continues to struggle in the midst of the proliferation of Uber, Lyft, and other TNCs.
While the TLC declined to comment, Joshi issued a statement that highlighted the “increased accountability, safety, access, modernized taxi regulation, protected drivers and increased consumer protections” achieved by the organization during her tenure.
“The timing of commissioner Joshi’s resignation is concerning because the crisis for New York City drivers is far from over and the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s work to fix it is just beginning,” said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, an association representing professional drivers.
Joshi’s announcement comes after several weeks of public disagreement between her and de Blasio in regards to the congestion fee imposed on for-hire vehicles (FHV) by the state government and scheduled to go into effect this month until a lawsuit stalled it. The commissioner said the fee would be “potentially devastating” for cabdrivers, while other sectors of the industry would have more flexibility to absorb the fee.
de Blasio last month supported the fee in an interview with WNYC, saying it would reduce traffic while funding repairs to the transit system.
In a statement, de Blasio said Joshi left behind an “unparalleled legacy.”
“Under her leadership New Yorkers who use wheelchairs can get service, passengers are assured that every driver and vehicle is safe, our city has detailed records of the one million daily trips, and New York City is the only place where app drivers have pay protection,” said de Blasio.
Mitchell Moss, director of New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management, believes that Joshi’s departure is a loss for the city, as the collection of data from app-based companies, which was instituted under her oversight, has allowed the city to regulate a rapidly growing sector.
“She has understood the importance of ensuring privacy but not letting the private firms control the information,” Moss said.
According to city officials, a replacement will be announced in coming months.
“It’s no secret that we have often disagreed, but Chair Joshi has always remained committed to the facts and policy over politics,” said Uber spokeswoman Alix Anfang. “No matter the political environment.”
Visit nyc.gov/taxi for more information.
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The agreement comes nearly two years after Presidential Worldwide President & CEO Shane Stickel first proposed their services to Gaylord representatives in Dallas. The contract between the companies includes all luxury ground transportation related to hotel guests, the convention center, airport transfers, shuttles, celebrity/VIP services, and local tours. Presidential also will provide a shuttle to and from a Denver’s RTD light rail service.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to be part of the first new Gaylord in 10 years,” says Stickel. “They’ve given us a large presence in their hotel and convention center, and even built us a transportation desk to operate from. We’ve hired 15 people to date and are looking to hire more once the hotel is fully operational.”
In addition to adding new staff, Stickel has made a significant investment in new metal to make sure that they can provide first-class service to the Gaylord’s guests. Presidential purchased several new Chevrolet Suburban SUVs for on-site use and Ford Transit vans for the light rail shuttle service. What’s more, the company has made the leap into the motorcoach side of the business with two Volvo 9700 buses.
With the Gaylord official grand opening of its 1501 rooms impending (a soft opening occurred in late December), and the first convention coming to town at the end of the month, Stickel is looking forward to the opportunities this partnership will provide.
“This is a new experience for us,” he says. “We’ve put a lot of time and expense into making this happen, and we’re enthusiastic to see what this turns into.”
Visit presidentialworldwide.com for more information.
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“We also look for opportunities to assist our members in developing new business relationships, in various ways, to compliment what they learn during their individual group meetings,” says Managing Director and Group Facilitator Arthur Messina.
Messina said that he has already planned networking opportunities to let members get acquainted with each other, as well as others within the industry. With this expansion, Driving Results has opened up to international companies, including operations in London, Switzerland, China, and Mexico.
Going Global Partners plans to meet three times a year, and currently has limited spaces available.
In addition to their new affiliate managers group, Driving Results has also recently formed the Big Wheels group for bus operators. With a focus on education, product knowledge, and hands-on learning directly from the manufacturers, Big Wheels is suited for owners, operations managers and fleet managers. Meetings are scheduled to take place at various manufacturers’ facilities around the U.S. and Canada.
Visit drivingresults.org for more information.
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