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PRLA Vice President Robert Euler of King Limousine ran the meeting, which began with a treasury report before Vendor Member Pete Corelli of Lakeview Custom Coach reported on issues as they pertain to those operating in New Jersey, as Corelli also serves as the PAC Chair for Limousine Association of New Jersey.
Corelli was among those who traveled to the New Jersey state capital of Trenton a week after the meeting to oppose the current form of Assembly Bill 3765, a bill that passed March 19 and will impose restriction on TNCs—but not to a degree that satisfies much of the livery industry. At the meeting, he warned that the then-proposed bill “might not be exactly what we want but it might just be a happy medium.” Corelli also noted that “it’s amazing how many of the legislators” to whom he and others had been speaking on behalf of the industry “aren’t aware of the safety issues” posed by unregulated transportation companies, adding his voice to the many who, throughout the meeting, would emphasize the importance of speaking to elected officials as a unified force.
Jim Schantz, a legislative assistant from Pennsylvania Senator Lisa Boscala’s office who has worked with the industry before, also spoke at the meeting. Schantz expressed his regret that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if state operators soon found themselves paying a new state tax, as well as his surprise that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission granted any TNC operations in Philadelphia. He implored state operators to meet with elected officials, saying that “sometimes, the government doesn’t know how bad a situation is until they’re told about it.” Schantz also spoke of what a diverse state Pennsylvania is, and that its rural areas often don’t know about the more urban issues that accompany TNC operations.
Schantz recalled his previous experience with the PRLA, saying that he was “heartbroken” when a bill in the industry’s favor failed to pass in 2006. Before ending his address to the PRLA members and supporters in attendance, Schantz vowed that he was backing the association all the way. “I’ll pledge my support to get you back to that first step, to help get you those meetings in Harrisburg and City Hall,” he said. “Their disregard for Uber and Lyft is disrespect to the consumer. I’m here to help present your side of the story and your concerns.”
Mike Barreto of Flyte Tyme Worldwide Transportation introduced the seven-year issue of credit card acceptance at the Philadelphia airport, which has recently been resolved. “We’ve religiously been going to airport meetings,” he said. “We’ve had such a dynamic relationship with them over the years, and it’s good to see the light at the end of the tunnel here.”
After going through the final testing phases throughout March, it is anticipated that the airport will begin accepting credit card payments on April 1—and to encourage using credit cards as much as possible, business checks will no longer be acceptable methods of payment.
According to Charles Newkirk, the director of operations for Parkway Corporation, which manages the airport’s limousine lot, this is the last step in a server upgrade to the Airport AVI program, which will also allow account holders to: view their account balances; fund their AVI accounts online via credit or debit cards on computers, smartphones, and tablets; upload their required credentials; and manage their fleets, so long as they can provide proper documentation.
Barreto emphasized that, in its role as the airport’s gatekeeper, Parkway’s job “is to keep the riffraff away,” and has worked well with regulated ground transportation companies in the past.
“We work hard for the people we work with,” Newkirk added.
Chauffeur Driven’s Director of Events Lori Battista, Industry and Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela, and Editor Madeleine Maccar represented the CD team at the meeting. A pass to October’s Miami show was raffled off, which PRLA’s Immediate Past President Jim Salinger of Unique Limousine won.
The next PRLA meeting is scheduled for April 8.
Visit prlainc.com for more information.
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“The most important thing is to get people up there,” FLA President Rick Versace of A1A Limousine & Airport Service wrote in an email. “Every company should bring three people to this event.”
More than 100 participants are expected to bolster the day-long event, which will occur with five weeks left of the current legislative session and aims to educate elected officials on strategies for effectively regulating TNCs—with public safety being the top priority.
FLA and its supporters are seeking safety-minded regulation by stressing that TNCs need: 24-hour commercial liability insurance; more stringent driver background checks, which would include fingerprinting; thorough vehicle inspections conducted by qualified third-party inspectors; established minimum fares; mandatory drug screenings; and privacy safeguards for TNC passengers.
Florida Ground Transportation Day will begin with 8 a.m. meetings. FLA’s public relations firm Sachs Media Group will be scheduling an 11 a.m. media availability event, where leaders from the various industries participating in the legislative day can be interviewed by reporters.
Visit floridalimousine.com for more information.
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A-3765 not only comes with a host of to-be-finalized regulations that aim to protect the safety of TNC passengers, but also takes “a step toward leveling the playing field” for TNCs and the ground transportation industry, according to LANJ First Vice President Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Chauffeured Services Worldwide. But the bill’s “gaps in critical areas” had LANJ members concerned that it simply does not address all of the necessary issues.
“Our opposition was to the current form of the bill, not the concept,” Sharenow said.
Sharenow, who went to the state house with LANJ’s PAC Chair Peter Corelli of Lakeview Custom Coach and Immediate Past President Jim Moseley of Trip Tracker, testified on behalf of the association. His testimony highlighted the reasons why LANJ opposed A-3765, which included: treating TNCs as entities outside ground transportation, exempting them from the requirements that the livery industry follows to ensure passenger and public safety; the bill’s failure to demand medical exams and drug screenings for drivers; inadequate vehicle inspections; substantially lesser insurance requirements and per-trip collection of fees for TNCs in comparison to livery operators; and the continued regard for TNC drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.
“All of these items are still in negotiation for the final bill,” Sharenow said. “But TNCs will be regulated in some way, shape, or form—the chair of the transportation committee, Assemblyman [John] Wisniewski, made that abundantly clear.”
Uber issued a statement in response to the bill’s passage, expressing its disappointment over A-3765’s narrow victory. While LANJ is not entirely happy with the bill’s passage, it does take heart in these first steps to regulate TNCs and will continue its fight for both increased safety and a level playing field.
“LANJ is not completely satisfied with all of the amendments, so we will continue to meet with the bill’s sponsors to help craft additional amendments to the current bill that we feel are necessary,” said Sharenow.
LANJ’s next general meeting will be March 31 at NJHA Conference and Event Center in Princeton.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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