Value was found at the first Connecticut Coffee Talk, a quarterly remote meeting of Connecticut’s professional luxury ground transportation operators, held by the New England Livery Association (NELA) on Tuesday, May 23.
During a discussion that picked up on a recent New York Times article lamenting the death of the stretch limousine, one attendee said his market continues to show very strong demand for stretch work. However, he is hearing that coachbuilders cannot buy new chassis certified for conversion under Ford-Lincoln’s Qualified Vehicle Modifier program (QVM) or Cadillac’s Certified Master Coachbuilder program (CMC). The veteran operator said Connecticut DOT still requires that operators use only QVM or CMC limousines.
Another operator asked for guidance on what insurance, or assurances, a New York City-based operator carries, or might offer, in order to verify that he can safely cover farm-in work for Southern Connecticut operators while only using owner-operators. The attendee said he is getting solicitation from limousine companies, in NYC, that are only loosely affiliated and without a Luxury Base license. A quick search of nyc.gov/tlc pages could not determine what coverages having a New York City Luxury Base License implies.
“We could use good help. And they’re usually pretty professional: Owner-operators have skin in the game. But we need proof of indemnity from the ‘company,’” stated the member during the meeting.
Later, in a follow-up email thread after the Coffee Talk, it was discovered that consumers can no longer look up the legitimacy of their Connecticut livery provider. The operator said he has regularly pointed ‘future customers’ to the site and to choose License Type “Transportation-Livery.” However, that category is no longer available. NELA reached out for information to the Taxi and Livery Bureau at the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
[05.26.23]