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Washington, D.C. — It was that time of year again when several hundred members of the National Limousine Association (NLA) descend upon our nation’s capital to meet with their representatives (or their staffs) to discuss the issues affecting the industry in their area. The event also included a meeting of the NLA Board; educational sessions on how to work with politicians before, during, and especially after the meetings; and a first-ever Association Presidents’ Summit, which was created to keep the conversation going.
The board, led by NLA Executive Director Philip Jagiela and President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation, worked with Cornerstone Government Affairs to set up the meetings with representatives. Cornerstone also provided tips on how to work most effectively with not only Washington politicians, but also their state governors and representatives. After a day on Capitol Hill full of shaking hands and speaking their minds about what’s impacting their businesses in their districts, attendees enjoyed a multi-course meal and plenty of cocktails at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab.
The following day, the Association Presidents’ Summit included over two dozen local association presidents who gave the roundtable a snapshot of what was happening in their areas, legislatively and professionally, and how the discussions with their representatives went.
Louie Perry, one of the founders of Cornerstone, said that working with local politicians gives the industry a unique opportunity to be heard. “On the federal level, legislation moves much slower, but the state, especially the executive branch, can react faster and legislation can be written quicker,” he said. “Local and state legislators aren’t as sophisticated as those in Washington because it’s often a part-time gig for them, but there is an opportunity to educate them and earn them as an advocate in a way that is much more impactful.
The conversation, unsurprisingly, was dominated by Uber and the TNCs, as every association president mentioned the current status of the app in their cities and states. Limousine Association of New Jersey President Jim Moseley of TripTracker shared a call he got from a new operator who purchased an established company in N.J. “He called me and asked what we could do to help. He said that they were losing chauffeurs to Uber at a rate of about 10 percent per month and that another month or two of this and he would have to file bankruptcy. He just purchased the company a few months ago for a quarter-million dollars. Uber is very, very clever, and we have to be, too.”
Greater California Livery Association President Rich Azzolino of Gateway Global says that they are meeting more frequently because of TNCs. “We’re meeting, at least the board is, almost every week. We were doing quarterly meetings, but now it’s meetings in different parts of the state twice a month. In California, the cab companies are almost out of business because of TNCs. Uber doesn’t want regulation, period, but I think the regulators are coming around to understanding our side of the issue.” Azzolino was also one of many presidents to mention the benefits of working with a local lobbyist.
But the news wasn’t all discouraging. Vice President of West Florida Livery Association Dave Shaw of Olympus Limo & Sedan Service reported that a bill that was crafted by and in favor of the TNCs was thrown out and rewritten. Shaw says that he hopes to work with legislators to craft the new bill’s language.
Perhaps the biggest announcement to come out of the event was NLA’s newly active stance on fighting Uber and other TNCs. Buffo said that the association, partially because it was a regional issue, was previously neutral on the apps, preferring instead to support regional associations as they battled it locally. He said that as of its executive board meeting that enough was enough and they are going to ramp up not only their backing of regional associations, but will aggressively take on the issue itself. More information will be released in the near future and will be circulated to all of the local associations.
Visit limo.org for more information.
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Riverside, Calif .—Newport Coachworks, a subsidiary of Green Automotive Company, recently generated significant interest for its CNG (Compressed natural gas) and electric shuttle buses at the Government Fleet Expo—better known as GF—which took place in San Diego early June. To see a video of the bus, visit this link.
Carter Read, president of Newport Coachworks, says that its recently launched electric shuttle bus, the e-Patriot, has attracted major attention from local municipalities, and that following the show, the company is in negotiation with several local authorities and is close to concluding contracts to supply CNG and fully electric buses to this specific new market. Some of those negotiations include a quote for San Joaquin Sheriff’s department, which would potentially use the vehicles as prisoner buses. Newport is also working on an electric drive train solution for use in Antarctica, which needs to perform in the coldest of climates.
“There’s no rubber molding; there’s nothing that can be damaged by the weather,” says Read. “It’s the wave of the future, and we have the longest resin-infused molds in the country.”
By all accounts, Newport’s participation in the show was productive at opening new doors for the electric buses. “We were able to access a whole new audience and have already captured several solid leads. We have seen that being able to tailor our products to the unique specifications required for these government contracts can prove to be very beneficial to our business. We can confirm that the market for low and zero emission vehicles is definitely taking off and Newport Coachworks is in a great position to cater for this market successfully,” says Green Automotive Company CEO Ian Hobday.
Visit newportcoachworks.comfor more information.
6/14
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Williamsburg, Va — The Virginia Limousine Association June meeting was hosted by James River Transportation. The meeting featured presentations by special agents from both Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) and also the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
The ABC officials spoke about the recently passed legislation allowing for collection of wine tasting fees by motor carriers. A short application is being developed that will not have a fee. Upon issuance of the one year permit, a copy should be carried in the vehicle and the fees must be submitted to the winery or brewery either before, or at the time of, service. Fees cannot be submitted afterwards. The tasting fees charged cannot be for a greater amount than the winery/brewery charges. The VLA will provide updates on the application process on its website when available. ABC agent Tom Kirby also spent time answering questions and enlightening attendees on the nuances of the laws in Virginia regarding alcohol in for-hire vehicles.
Special Agent-in-Charge Tom Penny of the Virginia DMV reported seeing a decline in stretch limousine activity, and an increase in party bus vehicles as well as (strangely enough) more private limousines which require great effort to catch operating illegally. The DMV is working closely with FMCSA and passenger carrier checks will be increasing.
Penny also informed members of the DMVs efforts to “level the playing field” with the ridesharing apps. They are attending judicial conferences to get judges to understand the importance of the violations to get the “level playing field,” and he encouraged members to contact their local police departments as well to emphasize the importance of compliance. These efforts will be especially important moving forward with the Uber/Lyft situation. Arlington Police will be enforcing laws on Uber/Lyft and the DMV will be hosting taxi enforcement training at various state police departments as well.
Dylan Bishop, a DMV law intern from legislative services, encouraged VLA members to make sure to answer the recent survey on the ridesharing apps, and to keep making our voices heard as the DMV has been tasked by the legislature to “fix the problem” before next year’s general assembly.
Visit virginialimousineassociation.orgfor more information.
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