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Like the majority of the luxury ground transportation industry, Paris-based operator Cardel Global hasn’t been immune to the effects of the COVID-19 shutdown. However, despite the lack of corporate travel and airport runs, Cardel CEO Karim Maachi has put some of his fleet on the road in service for the medical staff working around the clock in Paris hospitals. Chauffeur Driven reached out to Maachi to get his insight into the current state of the industry in France, as well as his company’s initiative to assist the doctors and workers on the front line.
Chauffeur Driven: What is the current situation in France for the chauffeur-driven industry?
Karim Maachi: France is very affected by the crisis and has imposed stricter laws limiting when people go out or run errands. This implies that most of the personal and business transportation industry is at a stand-still, and it is obviously a very tough time for the whole industry in France, and Europe as well. As vice president of the European Passenger Transportation Association (EPTA), I am in regular communication with our members to evaluate how the situation is evolving and exchange best practices.
It is now clear that new regulations for safety and liability insurance are coming to the industry and forcing new measures on how our fleet of vehicles is equipped. For instance, all vehicles will soon have to be “COVID-proof,” that is, showing you are taking extra measures for your clients’ safety. These measures will be enforced not only by the government but also by the insurance companies.
CD: How is Cardel taking steps in this difficult environment?
KM: We are at the forefront of the new regulations and being proactive. For example, we have already equipped all our fleet with Plexiglas separators between the chauffeur and the customer. To my knowledge, we are the only ground transportation company in Paris to do that in preparation for these new liability regulations. Of course, we will also have all our chauffeurs cleaning the cars in between each client, and wearing masks and gloves to ensure safety for all.
Because we are ready three weeks before the end of the lockdown in France, we are already getting booked by existing and new clients. Our activity is peaking at 15 percent for now, and we anticipate going back to maximum 50 percent in September—and hopefully back to normal in 2021. We are actually already seeing a surge in our business development, in particular from U.S.-based operators who are looking for partners ready for the change in liability protection.
CD: We have seen some interesting initiatives of Cardel with local hospitals on your social media. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
KM: With my vehicles at a standstill, I wanted to use it in some capacity to support our local medical staff. They are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 and we wanted to show our gratitude. A lot of doctors and medical staff have been called to Paris to help their colleagues, and are staying in hotels. We are working with hospitals to offer shuttle service between hotels and their hospital as long as the lockdown is in place in Paris. I feel this is the least we can do as they are fighting for our lives.
We have 10 chauffeurs (in five sedans and five vans) picking up approximately 100 medical personnel every day from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM from hotels (where they’re actually sleeping) around the Hospital Henri Mondor, back and forth.
All vehicles are equipped with Plexiglas partitions, and masks, gloves, and gels are available for the medical staff. It has been a lot of work and coordination with the hospital to be able to finalize this huge operation that nobody did before—and Cardel is proud to be the only transportation company providing this service.
CD: What message do you have for your affiliates? Any recommendations/tips on how to survive this difficult environment?
KM: My main message is a word of encouragement: Get ready for a new norm, and be proactive. Anything you can do to get ready to this new norm should be done now. As far as my partners and affiliates are concerned, I want to assure them that Cardel Global is ready and prepared—more than ever—to resume and grow its business again with our affiliates.
It is a time to adapt, and support each other by sharing best practices, business news, and tips.
Visit cardel-global.com for more information.
[04.27.20]
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Ready to roll! On May 13, a caravan of motorcoaches will arrive in Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of the critical function that the bus industry plays in American infrastructure in a rally called Motorcoaches Rolling for Awareness. The event is a result of the cooperative efforts of the American Bus Association (ABA) and the United Motorcoach Association (UMA), and complements the Congressional outreach campaign that the associations have been urging operators to participate in for emergency COVID-19 funding.
“ABA and UMA have combined resources to orchestrate this once-in-a-lifetime event designed to get our industry back on the road,” said ABA President and CEO Peter Pantuso and UMA Interim President and CEO Larry Killingsworth in a letter to members. “We are inviting our members to travel in a coach (or coaches) and roll through Washington on May 13 at 10:30 a.m. ET. All coaches will carry industry messaging as we drive through our nation’s capital to raise awareness for our industry and ask for government support in the form of $15 billion of directed funds for over-the-road bus carriers.”
Pantuso and Killingsworth also hope to generate local, regional, and national buzz for motorcoach operators. The industry, which has seen a decline upwards of 90 percent in the past few weeks during the COVID-19 crisis, represents more than 3,000 small, family-owned businesses that employ nearly 100,000 workers. According to the ABA Foundation, nearly 60 percent of all revenue is generated for tour operators during the critical late spring and summer months, although those bookings are down more than 95 percent this year.
For members who can’t make the trip, there will be “donor” coaches available that can represent a business or state for a small fee, which is being organized through the newly launched Ohio Motorcoach Association, according to the letter. The entire letter can be read here.
UMA and ABA members can sign up for the event here.
Visit busesmoveamerica.com or send an email to mrfa@abc-companies.com for more information.
[04.27.20]
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Sunday, April 26 marked the tenth anniversary of law firm Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf’s Transportation Group, which was founded by Partner and Chair Matt Daus, a former commissioner of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission and current president of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR). The group counsels companies of all sizes on a broad range of transportation matters, including regulatory compliance, strategic planning, administrative law, and public policy throughout the United States and internationally.
“It has been quite a journey, and it continues to be an absolute privilege and honor to represent mobility professionals from around the world, including private companies and government agencies,” Daus said in a press release. “We have helped our clients navigate challenging times before, and our team will spend every waking hour and minute ensuring they remain resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. History has dealt us some real setbacks before, but the transportation community has always overcome, and will once again. We have seen the rise and fall of businesses, the creation of new policies and laws, and have continued to help our clients survive and thrive; and have done so as a law firm since the 1800s—where we remained intact through the influenza pandemic of 1918 and two World Wars. I look forward to many decades to come of diligently representing our clients to help them succeed and prosper once again, and our team will devote every ounce of energy and fortitude to making that happen with quality services and sound counsel.”
Daus and his team have always been a fixture in the industry, although they have been working around the clock in recent weeks to provide up-to-the-minute information and share resources available to the transportation industry. At 11 AM ET this Thursday, April 30, Daus will host an IATR-sponsored webinar with a number of transportation officials and association leaders, including Robert Alexander of the NLA, Tom Arrighi of The Transportation Alliance, and Peter Pantuso of the American Bus Association. Registration is available here.
Visit windelsmarx.com for more information about the Transportation Group.
[04.27.20]