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UMA Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs and Industry Relations COO Ken Presley Alexandria, Va. — Transportation and infrastructure are issues with bipartisan support, so the United Motorcoach Association (UMA) says it is cautiously optimistic that midterm election results could result in positive outcomes for member interests. That doesn’t mean there aren’t issues to watch, however, particularly in the area of mandates and regulations, revenue generation to pay for infrastructure investments and autonomous vehicles.
“Passenger transportation is a non-partisan issue and every elected official has an interest in assuring the bus and motorcoach companies in their district serve their constituents, and beyond,” said Ken Presley, UMA’s vice president of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs and Industry Relations COO. “It seems likely the new Congress will take up infrastructure funding and policy. We look forward to working with them and advocating on behalf of UMA members.”
UMA will continue to stress the critical role that members play in transporting people safely, efficiently, and economically, he said, and will also continue to engage on issues of importance to UMA members. Following is an early analysis prepared by Becky Weber, managing director of Prime Policy Group.
Infrastructure Funding
Democrats now control the House majority, and current Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and likely next Speaker of the House has said that infrastructure will be a top priority for House Democrats. Incoming Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) announced that he intends to begin work on infrastructure legislation in January and has already talked to the White House about it before the election. With multi-year reauthorizations for aviation and water resources programs finished this year, surface transportation programs would be the major driver for such a bill, Weber said.
In addition, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) which authorized highway and transit programs for the last five years, is due to expire in October of 2020 and could also provide the engine for an infrastructure bill.
This all is “absolutely newsworthy” right now for UMA, Weber says, particularly as Congress lays out a funding mechanism. “We have a motorcoach fuel tax exemption to protect, and if they move to a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) user fee, we will need to ensure comparable treatment” she said.
Surface Transportation Policy
On this topic, benefits may be mixed, according to Weber’s analysis.
The flip to a Democratic majority House will mean increased oversight of the Department of Transportation, especially in terms of grants, safety regulation and rollback of regulations. Under the current Republican administration—the Department has halted or rolled back more regulations than any other agency.
House Democrats have been vigorously supportive of transit funding. UMA has encouraged members to partner with local transit authorities to receive more public/private partnership opportunities, Weber said, and thriving public transport keeps city streets unclogged enough for charter buses to freely transit during urban trips. However, UMA officials say they will need to continue to vigorously defend protections against unfair competition from public transit agencies in the provision of charter bus service and home-to-school transportation.
A larger concern is the potential push for more regulation and mandates affecting the motor carrier industry, she said. UMA would fight, for example, against any revival of the effort to raise minimum insurance levels for commercial vehicles—something that would be crushing for industry newcomers. Many Democrats also support bills to mandate specific obstructive sleep apnea screening, testing and treatment regulations, which UMA believes is unnecessary since the condition is being adequately addressed by Department of Transportation-required physicals. UMA will need to be vigilant to defend a reasonable and deregulatory environment for our operators to continue to grow and thrive, she said.
Autonomous Vehicles
This is an issue to watch, one affected more by advancements in technology and testing than election results, Weber said. A bill has passed the House and is pending in the Senate that would preempt states from creating their own rules regarding autonomous automobiles so that the safety and regulatory scheme developed is consistent across the nation. The bills also address liability and safety issues. Likely, the bill would be followed by one addressing commercial motor vehicles, she said.
“We would need to be very engaged on a commercial autonomous vehicle bill, even if we could never in a million years imagine a fully autonomous motorcoach,” Weber said. “Maybe it would be more like an airplace where the coach gets significantly autonomous but still has a technologically savvy driver. . . Whether there was an election or not, this is an issue we’re going to have to get more educated and engaged on.”
Visit uma.org for more information.
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This article was originally published at busandmotorcoachnews.com/election-results-likely-to-keep-transportation-high-on-legislative-agenda/
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Los Angeles — Around 2:00 on the morning of November 9, KLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services received a dramatic phone call in the wake of two devastating infernos—the Woolsey fire and the Hill fire—that were threatening the Thousand Oaks area of Ventura County, just northwest of Los Angeles County. According to KLS Founder Alex Darbahani, the Four Seasons Hotel in nearby Westlake Village said that it urgently needed help to evacuate a number of hotel guests to safety. Other companies the hotel had contacted weren’t able to help.
"They asked us how many vehicles we could get there, and in about 30 minutes we were able to get six SUVs and four sedans from our fleet on the way to the hotel," says Darbahani. "We really had to consider the possibility that we might be risking our lives," he added.
The scene was intense. "I'm not kidding. When we arrived at the hotel, it was very scary. We saw oak trees that must have been more than 20 feet high on fire. There was thick smoke everywhere and the tension was very high. The Four Seasons personnel were all doing a great job, but it was still a frightening and chaotic situation," he says. "Fortunately, we were able to get our people out safely,” he says. They were also able to secure the guests’ belongings while making them comfortable during the evacuation.
"Even when we got on the road, it wasn't easy. Just about all of the hotels in the San Fernando Valley area relatively nearby were full. Fortunately, we were able to safely move all 32 guests. The really frightening part is how close the Four Seasons’ guests came to a much more dangerous situation. After we were on the road at about 3:15 a.m., all the ways to get out closed. It could have been a lot worse, and I'm very glad our logistical know-how and training paid off," he says.
The fire, now contained, burned nearly 97,000 acres and claimed more than 1,500 structures in its wake—although the hotel survived.
"We weren't under any obligation to take the job, but I really think that a high-end ground transportation service like ours should have the commitment to do great work not only when things are safe and normal, but during tough times. We're highly trained and experienced chauffeurs, not just drivers. We're committed to being the best of the best and we're there when our passengers need us the most," says Darbahani.
Visit klsla.com for more information.
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GOLA President Cliff Wright of Royal Coach and Limousine 
Orlando — The Greater Orlando Livery Association (GOLA) officially elected its newest board of directors November 15.
The recently installed officers are:
President: Cliff Wright of Royal Coach and Limousine
Vice President: Kamal Chetouane of Imperial Transportation
Treasurer: Al Castagna of Quick Transportation
Secretary: Ed Alonso of Corporate World Wide Transportation
Directors: Rene Garcia of Rencia Luxury Transportation, Mike Gouldbourn of My Towncar, and Isaac Hernandez of Access Transportation
Trade Member Representative: Debbie Madiedo of Professional Insurance Center
The next GOLA event will be its December 18 meeting.
Visit getaroundorlando.com for more information.
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