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According to the survey, 79 percent of Americans also believe TNCs should have to operate under the same guidelines as taxis and limo companies. A majority of Americans—71 percent—believe car service drivers should be limited in the number of hours they can drive per week, and 69 percent feel that TNC drivers should be entitled to benefits from their company.
"While the nation's economic health has improved greatly since the recession, a full recovery will not be possible until we take the proper steps to protect the rights of the American worker. As this survey clearly illustrates, the vast majority of consumers believe that ride-hailing service drivers are indeed employees, and are entitled to the benefits required by federal labor laws," said NLA Co-founder Scott Solombrino of Dav El/BostonCoach.
Reflecting the views of many Americans, NLA’s Ride Responsibly campaign has called for increased safety regulations specifically pertaining to TNC drivers. Additionally, Ride Responsibly has long called for fair labor standards for all ground transportation drivers, advocating for their proper classification as employees and not independent contractors.
"The NLA welcomes all innovation in the ground transportation field,” said NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation. “Technologies being used by TNCs have revolutionized our industry. As the results of this survey demonstrate, Americans agree that technology is not an excuse to ignore rules and regulations that are in place to protect the best interests of our country. It has become increasingly clear that TNCs' businesses models are based on circumvention, utilizing technology as an excuse for breaking the law."
Visit limo.org for more information.
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After welcoming members, Rhoads kicked off the meeting by sharing the terms of the association’s long-in-the-works settlement with the Philadelphia Parking Association (PPA). For close to a year, the PRLA has been engaged in a lawsuit with the city over a proposed $865 per car operations fee, which was more than double the previous requirement. After securing an attorney, the association was able to reach agreements with the PPA over several issues. First, and most significantly, the city agreed to a $500.00 per car fee for the 2017 fiscal year, with a $550.00 cap for 2018. While the PRLA was hoping to pay a percentage of wages earned by intra-city work—as with taxis and TNCs—this would require a change to existing legislation in Harrisburg.
Additionally, the PPA agreed to reduce licensing fees for PPA certified drivers from $135.00 to $25.00, giving them an option to purchase a two-year license. The city also simplified the licensing process, allowing chauffeurs and drivers to renew in a single visit—as opposed to the three trips that were required previously. Lastly, the PPA lowered the inspection fees to $25.00. Currently, PRLA members are in process of signing off on the agreement, and once that is complete, the new levies will go into effect.
Next, Rhoads discussed potentially hiring a lobbyist to represent the PRLA in Harrisburg. While recent efforts in the statehouse have garnered some success for the association, Rhoads said that an experienced lobbyist is bound to get into “the right doors” to make more of an impact with the lawmakers. PRLA members were encouraged to think of ways to increase funds for the organization to make it viable to hire a lobbyist.
The evening concluded with a presentation from Glenn Kocher and Annette McKee from WSFS Bank. The two financial professionals spoke about auto financing and offered deals to any PRLA members looking to add vehicles to their fleets.
PRLA’s next meeting will be in May.
Visit prlainc.com for more information.
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The association recently elected its 2017 board of directors, which includes:
President: Mary Norby of Carey Denver/GT Denver
Treasurer: Nikko Ouzounis of A White Dove Limousine
Sergeant-at-Arms: Jeremiah Kidanemarian of CFC Ride
Chairman of the Board: Dianne Cavender of DDG Classic Limousine
Nominations have been accepted to fill CLA’s vice president and secretary slots; Youssef Marrakchi of Centennial Transportation has been nominated to run for the former while Jason Ramsey of Prestige Worldwide Transportation has been nominated to the latter role. Additional nominations will be accepted at the CLA meeting tonight, March 21, before elections are held.
The association is also reaching out to its members to encourage roundtable discussions at future meetings. Topics for consideration can be submitted to Executive Director Philip Jagiela at philip@palmamac.com.
To further increase its outreach, the association is also ramping up its social media presence, especially LinkedIn and Facebook. It is also looking for additional members to participate in its committees, particularly its sponsorship committee.
The CLA’s next membership meeting will be this evening at Mercedes-Benz of Denver.
Visit cololimo.org for more informations.
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