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IATR President Matt Daus
With just a month to go before their 36th annual conference, the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) has announced that the Black Car Fund (BCF) is once again sponsoring the event. The conference will be held September 27-30 at the W Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. Featuring an array of leading transportation regulators and policymakers from across the globe as speakers and attendees, the yearly conference explores the current and future needs of passengers across the spectrum of mobility with an eye on sustainability, equitable accessibility, and safety.
The Black Car Fund, formally known as the New York Black Car Operators’ Injury Compensation Fund, provides workers’ compensation insurance, education, safety training, and health benefits for nearly 100,000 drivers of more than 500 affiliate member bases. The nonprofit organization was commissioned by the State of New York to help protect drivers and passengers alike. BCF is funded exclusively via a passenger surcharge collected by member bases.
Ira Goldstein of the BCF
“I would like to thank the Black Car Fund, its board, partners, and all the bases that support this wonderful and unique driver compensation and benefits organization, for once again sponsoring the IATR,” says IATR President Matt Daus. “Special thanks to my dear friend of 35+ years, Ira Goldstein, whose leadership has brought the Fund to levels of success that have touched the lives of many thousands of drivers over the years, to help not just economically at times of injury, but to proactively train drivers on how to stay safe to avoid injury—and to keep them a healthy and vibrant part of the mobility ecosystem. Our thanks, on behalf of all the regulators, to all of the staff who keep things running at the Fund. We need a Black Car Fund in every state, and beyond!”
Visit iatr.global for more information about the event.
[08.08.23]
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Fresh off last month’s successful debut of their electric coach charging facility, the largest of its kind with space for charging up to 40 coaches at a time, ABC Companies is now fully into its Phase II Zero Emissions Cross Country Tour, which kicked off late last month from the facility in Newark, California.The company had previously embarked on a tour between California and its Florida headquarters to demonstrate the viability of their fully electric motorcoaches, the Van Hool CX45E and TDX25E, using public charging along the way and testing it against real-world conditions.
James Wang of Peoria Coach checks out the fully electric Van Hool TDX25E 45' double deck coach
ABC will again put their product to the test—this time a fully electric Van Hool TDX25E 45’ double deck coach, equipped with a Proterra battery system—for the nearly 2,800-mile trek. The tour will showcase ABC’s growing lineup of electric offerings, but also shine a light on the need for dedicated commercial passenger vehicle charging infrastructure specifically designed for heavy-duty electric vehicles.
Enlisting the help of James Wang of Peoria Charter (Peoria, Illinois), who is also the face behind the Motorcoach World Youtube channel, ABC is hoping to gain brutally honest feedback from Wang. He will also document his journey to Florida on his channel; the bus is equipped with Starlink to accommodate the streaming.
ABC CEO Roman Cornell (center) with Dennis Utley (left) and James Wang of Peoria Coach
“After seeing how James and his Motorcoach World channel was trying to objectively educate the industry on various technologies, motorcoaches, and trends, I knew James was the man for the job,” said ABC CEO Roman Cornell. “He is not afraid to provide an authentic review and he will share the good, the bad, and even the ugly, but always in an objective way, through the lens of a motorcoach operator. With electric Van Hool motorcoaches making up over 20 percent of our total deliveries by the end of this year, we need people like James to provide the facts about what these EVs can and just importantly, cannot do in operation. … But this trip is about more than the vehicles, it is about raising awareness for desperately needed public charging infrastructure that can handle a 45’ motorcoach, or other medium or heavy commercial vehicles. With so much federal funding earmarked for infrastructure designed to accelerate use of EVs, we have become acutely aware that there is not nearly enough awareness or focus on large commercial vehicles who will have to rely on publicly available charging. … James and his Motorcoach World YouTube channel, along with our continued efforts through the ABC Companies Zero Emissions Tour, will help amplify this need until we can get more organizations and government focused on addressing this growing need.”
“We are ecstatic that James and his colleague Dennis Utley will be taking on the challenge. They will be accompanied by James’ family and Dennis’ wife, so while we have made several cross-country trips before, this is the first that also includes passengers. James and the crew will be live streaming each day, giving followers the opportunity to follow along his journey and learn what electric motorcoaches and their required charging needs are all about. … We already know the coach is completely capable of making the trip as it has several times before, but the variable is always the charging infrastructure. James and his channel will help share what works and what does not work when it comes to charging, and this sharing of the experience will no doubt bring critical awareness to the need for publicly available heavy commercial vehicle charging infrastructure,” said ABC VP of Marketing Thom Peebles.
Visit abc-companies.com for more information.
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Good news coming from a new report released by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and sponsored by Uber for Business, the TNC’s arm that focuses on corporate travelers and meal deliveries. The vast majority of US and Canadian business travelers feel (87 percent) that business travel is “essential” or “helpful” to achieving their business objectives. Further, 39 percent say they travel more compared to 2019, with 29 percent noting that it’s on par with pre-pandemic levels.
The report, The Current State of Business Travel: Business Traveler and Travel Manager Priorities, explores the needs of business travelers and travel managers—where they differ and where they are clearly aligned. Business travelers, according to the report, expressed a desire to travel but want it to be as stress-free as possible with a healthy focus on sustainable options. Managers, on the other hand, state that cost is a priority over sustainability (despite many organizations saying that it is a companywide goal in other recent surveys), but both agree on mitigating stress for the traveler.
GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang
“This report showcases the current state of traveling for business – the insightful findings show the connection between business travelers and business travel managers when it comes to employee travel choices,” said GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang. “The report also uncovers opportunities to improve communication on travel policies such as when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint of travel and cost saving measures to achieve a financially responsible business travel program.
The survey also explored the role of rideshares in travel, with 74 percent of travelers reporting using a rideshare provider at least occasionally and 36 percent using them frequently. Once a leg up for chauffeured transportation providers, the gap of risk management and duty of care seems to be closing as travel managers cite improved data and reporting and cost savings as benefits to using rideshares. It’s important to again note that the survey was sponsored by Uber for Business.
“The last few years have taught the business world that the only true constant is change,” said Global Head of Uber for Business and Business Development Susan Anderson. “At Uber for Business, we believe that this change brings about a spirit of progress. This year, we’re seeing employers become increasingly intentional with their business travel policies and decisions, while more business travelers are prioritizing green choices and rideshare options. We look forward to being a critical partner to companies as they navigate ongoing changes and embrace new opportunities, whether that means reaching corporate sustainability goals or giving their business travelers the best experience possible.”
Data collection for two separate online surveys of US and Canadian travel managers and business travelers took place between May and June 2023, with 147 travel managers and 411 business travelers completing each survey, respectively.
GBTA members can download the complete survey findings at GBTA Member Hub, or a PDF is available on the Uber for Business website.
[08.08.23]