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ABA President Peter PantusoWashington, D.C. — The American Bus Association (ABA), whose mission is the advancement of North American motorcoach travel and tourism, in joint letters with the National Limousine Association, Near Airport Parking Industry Trade Association, and the Taxicab, Limousine, Paratransit Association to the Chairman and Ranking members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, urged clarity and a level playing field when it comes to landside transportation at our nation’s airports. With deliberation underway of legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, the coalition is asking Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) of the Senate Commerce Committee and Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to consider landside transportation issues.
“Ground transportation has become an increasingly important topic given the growing number of stakeholders seeking access to the airport’s limited curb space to provide efficient transportation alternatives for travelers. Our associations strongly believe it is in the best interests of the traveling public and the airports seeking to manage their limited curb space that transportation policy be formulated with the realization that private enterprises must have the ability to (1) compete on a level playing field free from undue and discriminatory regulatory burdens and (2) continue to grow and participate in private investment.”
Nationwide, private motorcoach operators are facing barriers to landside access of federally funded airports. This includes inequitable access such as inconvenient and inconsistent drop-off and pickup locations, as well as exorbitant fees.
The coalition urges the creation of a working group led by the Department of Transportation’s Undersecretary for Policy to study the effectiveness of achieving those goals already set forth in Section 47101 of the U.S. Code - encouraging intermodal connections on airport properties to serve passengers efficiently as well as promoting economic development, economic productivity and global competitiveness.
Visit buses.org for more information.
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LANJ President Jason Sharenow (second from left) presents a check to representatives of the Police Unity Tour
CD Publisher Chris Weiss (left) was among those attending LANJ’s inaugural golf fundraiser
LANJ President Jason Sharenow (left) and Brian O‘Neill of Grech Motors (right) present a check to representatives of The Salvation Army
Skillman, N.J. — Members, supporters, and guests turned out in droves for the inaugural Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) Golf Outing on September 18, including CD Publisher Chris Weiss.
Attracting industry members from all over the country, the association’s first-ever fundraising event of this kind was an instant success, not only for its camaraderie but also as a fundraising endeavor.
While the golf outing did help raise money for the association, a portion of the outing's proceeds were donated to The Salvation Army as well as the Police Unity Tour, which not only memorializes fallen officers but also raises money for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Museum. The charities were chosen for the special places they have in members’ hearts—especially Sharenow, who has volunteered with the Livingston Police Department for more than two decades.
Hitting the links was only part of the day’s activities, and attendees were treated to a buffet lunch in the Cherry Valley Country Club’s clubhouse—which was open to all, since not everyone’s golf skills were on par with regulars on the green.
Lunch then gave way to prizes, where those who came out on top at the debut event were given trophies. In addition to those winners of various contests throughout the day, the winning team was recognized for its success.
It was during the luncheon that Sharenow presented each beneficiary with a check: The Police Unity Tour received $5,000 while The Salvation Army was given $7,000.
Check out the October issue of Chauffeur Driven for expanded coverage of this inaugural event.
The next LANJ meeting will be November 6.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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Members of HALCA rallied together after Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Houston area
Houston, Texas — With local post-Hurricane Harvey relief efforts and cleanup already underway, Houston Area Livery & Charter Association (HALCA) forged ahead with its regularly scheduled September 12 meeting, which was also attended by Chauffeur Driven Publisher Chris Weiss.
The meeting, according to HALCA President Ismail Abed of LaBreese Limousine, was crucial to follow through with, proving that the association and its members will not only prevail but also support each other in difficult times.
“I didn’t want to cancel the meeting because we can’t let the storm get us down, and it won’t stop us from doing what we do any more than it’s already affected us,” he said. “It didn’t kill us, and it won’t. If we keep moving ahead like we’re supposed to, that’s the best way to handle the aftermath. I’ve lived through wars: When the enemy attacks and kills innocent people, the survivors pick themselves up, rebuild, move on, and live their lives. It will happen again, and we can’t give up every time a storm comes through.”
Abed, however, said that maintaining a positive mood in the face of adversity was not his role alone, as the 35 individuals in attendance were also determined to keep their chins up despite taking a beating.
HALCA President Ismail Abed of LaBreese Limousine
“Everybody came with a good, positive attitude,” Abed confirmed. “Yes, they had hurt in their hearts because, regardless of whether or not they were directly affected by losing their house, business, or cars, they still were affected because we were essentially shut down for two weeks. We did not have much business because the airport didn’t operate for almost a week, and that right there hurt everybody financially. But everybody had a good attitude about it, agreeing that it’s a problem—but also recognizing that it’s also not the end of the world.”
Besides, he added, a financial hit might set a company back, but losing a car or a building pales in comparison to losing a loved one: “If it’s money we lost, we can restructure ourselves and our habits for a few months to get back on track. Mostly everybody is okay, and that’s what really matters.”
Times of trouble also present scores of opportunities for people to band together, and Abed has been seeing HALCA members step up in big ways by helping and supporting their fellow operators in the hurricane’s messy aftermath.
“I feel like there are a lot of good people who care,” he said. “We’ve been raising money for some of the operators who were hurt the most. We know that a few thousand dollars isn’t going to fix anyone’s problems, but we want them to know that we’re thinking about them, that we’re hurting for them, and that we’re here to help them. It’s something to show that we’re behind them no matter what.”
Abed said that he has been systematically reaching out to HALCA members and Houston-area on his own time to make sure they know their industry peers won’t abandon them in a difficult, stressful time as they claw their ways back to normal operations.
CD Publisher Chris Weiss spoke at the meeting
“I’ve been on the phone every day to check in on everyone, to make sure they and their families are okay,” he said. “It doesn’t cost anything to just pick up the phone to say, ‘I feel your pain and I know what you’re going through, and it’s going to be okay.’ It’s important to give them support, tell them it’s not the end of the world—we’re flying through some bad clouds but the sun’s going to shine soon. You might lose a few dollars but if you work as hard as you’ve always worked, things are going to get back on track.”
While Abed says that the meeting didn’t have a formal agenda beyond bolstering spirits, he said the having Weiss there helped bring in more people than he thought the meeting would welcome, and hearing about the rest of the industry and where it’s going meant a lot to HALCA.
“Chauffeur Driven has always been a big supporter of HALCA, and one of the reasons why the meeting was so successful was because Chris was there,” Abed said. “It brightened up the meeting and gave some people who might not have attended a reason to be there. It was one of the most positive things about a meeting that I expected more people to miss because they still trying to recover from the storm.”
HALCA’s next event will be its December holiday party.
Visit houstonlimos.info for more information.
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