- Details
- Category: Industry News
Marlton, N.J. — The slate of candidates for the 2015 National Limousine Association (NLA) board election has been released. By the deadline for nominations on November 21, NLA had received a total of 21 applications for seven open seats. There are two open seats for At-Large and Southeast Region and one seat for each of the following regions: Central, Northeast, and West. Information on all candidates as well as their reasons for running for the NLA Board has been posted here: limo.org/board-member-applicants.
"It is really great to see how many industry business owners and officers see the importance of being involved in this prestigious association,” says NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation.
Candidates for the two At-Large seats are Joel Amato of Gateway Global; Jeff Greene of Greene Worldwide Transportation, Bruce Heinrich of LEADER Worldwide Chauffeur Services, and Ron Stein of Exclusive Sedan Service.
Candidates for the two Southeast seats are Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation, Laura Canady of CLT Express, David Glazier of Fleet Transportation, Carl Haley Jr. of Grand Avenue Limousine, Andy Thompson of Rose Chauffeured Transportation, Scott Tinkler of Aventura Worldwide Transportation, and Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service.
Candidates for the one Central seat are Matt Assolin of Nikko’s Worldwide Chauffeured Services, Mary Harrell-Paul of Crown Chauffeured Services, Charlie Murray of Total Luxury Limousine, Eileen Pickus of People Express Worldwide, and Steve Qua of Company Car and Limousine.
Candidates for the one Northeast seat are Michael Campbell of Grace Limousine, Jon Epstein of Royal Coachman Worldwide, and James MacGilvray of Partners Executive Transportation.
Candidates for the one West seat are Maurice Brewster of Mosaic Global Transportation and Christopher Quinn of Corporate Transportation Solutions.
Ballots are currently being mailed to members with a deadline of January 23, 2015; ballots received after the deadline will not be counted.
“Wherever the election lands, I am very thankful for your support to the National Limousine Association. It is because of all of us that this association exists. Continue to be involved, as we are thankful for your support,” says Buffo.
Visit limo.org for more information.
[CD1214]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
Operators attend one of the breakout sessions at the UMA Safety Seminar
Ashburn, Va. — The United Motorcoach Association (UMA) held its 11th annual Safety Management Seminar December 3-4 at the National Transportation Safety Board’s training center. UMA has held the seminar on a yearly basis since first identifying a need for it within the ground transportation industry; its specific topics vary based on current demands but always aim “to assist motorcoach operators on safety and compliance,” according to Michele Nosko, UMA’s marketing & membership director.
In addition to agency updates from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and Transportation Security Administration, the day-and-a-half seminar also featured a number of educational sessions.
“We kicked off by discussing the topic of employee hiring and discipline, and had a session on accident investigations to provide an overview of what operators should do if there’s an accident with their motorcoach,” Nosko said. “We also had a session on OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). One of the other sessions, “What I Learned from My Recent Investigation,” was a moderated panel with operators who have gone through the FMCSA’s compliance reviews and shared their experiences and tips.”
The seminar is capped at 130 attendees, which allows for a small, person gathering where individual questions and concerns can be presented so operators can walk away with solutions to real-life problems. Nosko said that there’s a fairly even split between those who frequently attend the seminar to stay on top of changes in the industry and its regulations, and those who may not necessarily be new operators but are participating in the event for the first time.
“It was definitely a success this year,” she said. “We had a full house, and a lot of the attendees gave us really great feedback and said that it was a good program.
The UMA Safety Seminar offered attendees numerous educational opportunities
The UMA’s next big event will be Motorcoach Expo, now in its 31st year, in New Orleans, La., from January 18 through 22.
“Registration numbers are up and we’re really expecting a great meeting this year,” Nosko said. “We have a lot of new networking programs that we’re doing and we’ve got a lot more educational opportunities this year.”
One of the biggest changes in the show is that “the key manufacturers of the industry,” like Prevost, ABC Companies, MCI, Alliance, and Temsa, will all be showing more vehicles than they have in years past.
“Operators tell us that the education is stellar at Expo but they’re also there to buy equipment,” Nosko said. “So it really is a buying show, and being able to put more equipment on the show floor is really exciting and beneficial for our attendees.”
Nosko believes that the show can benefit not only those in the motorcoach industry but also livery operators who are interested in expanding their fleets to include buses.
“For [chauffeured transportation] operators, it’s a great venue if they’re thinking of getting into bigger equipment,” she said. “They can see the vehicles on the show floor, and they can attend our sessions to learn about them. The motorcoach industry does transport passengers but it really is a different world with all the regulations they need to think about, so this show is a great learning resource for anyone starting out in the industry.”
Visit uma.org for more information.
[CD1214]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
Members of LBTOUNY gathered at Banchetti’s in
Amherst, NY, for the association’s most recent meeting.
Amherst, N.Y. — The Limousine, Bus, and Taxi Operators of Upstate New York (LBTOUNY) held its most recent meeting December 3.
Dave Bastian of Towne Livery, who’s also LBTOUNY’s legislative chairman, had been invited by association President Kevin Barwell of Giorgio’s Limousine Service to discuss much of the issues covered during the meeting. Those key issues included the association’s efforts to expand its membership base to more areas in New York state, the continued encroachment of TNCs, and what LBTOUNY is doing to repeal the state’s sales tax on black car and limousine services.
The sales tax has had an unwelcome effect on New York state operators since its introduction, and members have spent more than a year fighting it, only to find themselves back at the beginning.
“We’ve had two bills that went through the House, the Assembly, and the Senate,” Barwell said. “It did pass so the bill was repealed in the Senate but, unfortunately, the Assembly did not get it to that point, so we’re going to start again in the new year. The fight is continuing.” Barwell also said that association members have discussed their options for getting the sales tax repealed and “trying to get it into the budget.”
TNCs were a hotly discussed topic at the meeting, too. While they’re allowed to operate in New York City, they’re still not permitted upstate until they follow the same laws as regulated livery operators.
“The TNCs were in Buffalo and Rochester before they were ever in New York City, so we started on getting them removed from this area, or at least making sure they follow the same rules and regulations that other companies supplying transportation services in the state of New York have to follow,” Barwell said. “TNCs can operate in New York City if they follow the rules, but they’re not allowed in the upstate area. So that was great, but we know that they’re still trying to get into our area.”
Barwell also said that it’s come to the association’s attention that drivers who worked for Uber or Lyft before they were removed from the upstate area have found a loophole to continue operating.
“We’ve found out that some drivers who were working here before, especially in the Rochester area, have created somewhat of an underground network,” he said. “They’re providing transportation through some of the customers they had, only without Lyft or Uber taking their money. We have to deal with that issue now, too.”
The association is looking ahead to spring, as it’s planning its first Day on the Hill for May. Having represented LBTOUNY at other organization’s legislative days, Barwell feels that it’s time for operators in New York state to unify in Albany.
“We’re inviting not only our members but also all the other associations to be a part of this so that we can get through to the representatives about the issues we’re all fighting,” he said. “Hopefully, it’ll be a good event and something we can continue in the future for all operators in the state of New York. I think we, as an industry, need to have a little bit louder of a voice upstate.”
LBTOUNY’s schedule for 2015 has been finalized, and Barwell is pleased that its meetings will be throughout Upstate New York in the coming year.
“We really want operators to understand that this is their New York state association—not only upstate, but the whole state can be a part of it,” he said. “The more people we have, the louder our voice will be.”
The next LBTOUNY meeting will be February 18 in Rochester.
Visit lbtony.com for more information.
[CD1214]