Association News · 2016. 2. 24. · Association News 2011 TLPA Year in Review Working Together to...

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Association News

2011 TLPA Year in Review Working Together to Make a Difference

When Robert McBride accepted the nomination as President of the Taxicab. Limousine & Paratransit Association in Los Angeles in October 2010, he said he wanted to make a difference “for our industry and our association” by focusing on the theme, Working Together to Make a Difference. To carry out his aspiration of truly making a difference, President McBride outlined the following goals for TLPA in 2011 saying, “It is my objective to raise our membership by 20 percent, advance quality and customer service, and engage our association wholeheartedly in important community-related programs. One of the top issues on my agenda is to reen-ergize the Taxis On Patrol initiative, encouraging TLPA operators nationwide to act as an extra set of eyes and ears in their communities.” Other key matters that President McBride pledged to focus on included: continued support of the TLPA Pink Ride program, preparation for the launch of TLPA’s new online driver education program, and addressing the implications of the new Federal tax rules requiring companies to file a Form 1099-K for each independent contractor driver to whom it has paid or credited amounts on account of fares and tips paid by credit card or company vouchers.

Following is a summary of TLPA member’s work under the leadership of President McBride to work effectively in a coordinated effort to advance our industry by Working Together to Make a Difference.

Recruitment of New TLPA MembersThe major objective Robert McBride set out to achieve at the beginning of

his Presidency was to grow the membership. And grow it did. Under Robert’s leadership, 233 new members were recruited into TLPA, the most new members ever recruited in one year. Those new recruits made TLPA the largest it has ever been as we crossed the 1,100-member mark for the first time in our his-tory. Nearly 100 current TLPA members recruited one or more new members in 2011 including Vice President Mike Fogarty who recruited 7 new members, Limousine Committee Co-Chair Sam Amato who recruited 5 new members, Vice President Robbie Werth who recruited 4 new members, and Director Jim Bell who recruited 4 new members. The idiom is “put one’s money where one’s mouth is” and certainly President McBride did so in his quest to grow the TLPA membership, he personally recruited 38 new members!

The TLPA Sponsored Transportation On Patrol ProgramThe concept of a “neighborhood watch on wheels” is not new. About

30 years ago, the Southland Corporation, which owned the 7-11 conve-nience store chain at that time established a program with our industry. Over time that program lost its sponsorship and the program nearly disappeared. Working with materials provided by the TLPA and a few TLPA members, President McBride worked with his staff to develop a Taxis On Patrol program in Denver. The Denver Taxis On Patrol program was a great success and the police department and city officials are ecstatic about it.

With the tremendous success in Denver, Robert appointed a commit-tee to develop the Transportation On Patrol (TOP) program for the entire TLPA membership. The TLPA TOP program was introduced at our Spring Conference & Expo in Chicago in April. Lt. Steve Addison from the Denver police department and two former police officers, Larry Stevenson from

Continued on page 10

8 Transportation Leader Winter 2012

Robert’s company in Denver and Joe Giannetto, Chair of the TLPA TOP committee, spoke about the program and encouraged every TLPA member to establish a TOP program in their own commu-nities. There were 80 TOP starter kits available at the Chicago meeting and members who were inter-ested in starting a TOP program took every one.

President McBride notes that there were three significant developments with the TOP program in its first year. First, TLPA members in over 50 communities are in the process of implementing their own TOP program. Second, since the TOP program is a goodwill program, TLPA leadership voted to turn over the TOP program to the TLPA charitable foundation, the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Foundation (TLPF). Third, in an effort to provide members with a cost-effective way to get the TOP program running in their commu-nities, TLPF is working with eCubed Learning, Clearwater, Florida, to develop online education courses for both drivers and operators. The goal is to make the TOP program a simple turnkey opera-tion for every company and community.

In his “State of the Industry” address to attendees at the TLPA 93rd Annual Convention & Trade Show in San Francisco in October, President McBride stated, “I can’t say it enough about the TOP program. This is a great program that your taxicab or your limousine or your paratransit or your airport shuttle or any other for-hire vehicle company should implement in your community. After tomorrow, I will no longer be the President of TLPA, but I pledge to everyone here today that you can continue to call me, and I will do all I can to help you implement a TOP program in your community.” Again, President McBride put his money where his mouth was as he donated $10,000 to the TLPA Public Relations’ Program toward developing the TOP program.

The New TLPA Learning CenterTLPA’s effort to significantly upgrade the

service delivered by the taxicab portion of our industry has been underway for quite some time. We have developed the Internet-based Taxicab Driver Education Program in partnership with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). The program consists of nine self-paced courses, available online through the TLPA Learning Center. The Introduction course includes an assessment of English language facil-ity. After successfully completing the Introduction, subsequent courses may be taken in any order. Students also receive a certificate of completion at the end of each course and managers can moni-tor progress. Students may purchase this program and enroll individually, or a block of “seats” may be purchased by taxicab companies and organizations responsible for taxicab driver regulation.

Courses include:• Introduction to the TLPA Taxicab Driver

Education Program• Operation as Independent Contractor or

Employee Driver• Basic Passenger Rights & Driver Service

Responsibilities• Passenger Relations and Effective

Communication Skills• Driver Business, Operations and Financial

Management• Local Matters of Concern for Drivers• Professional Service Delivery• Driver Safety and Health• Defensive Driving

The primary objective of this program is to provide an affordable and easily accessible tool for improved performance, with special emphasis on customer service and safety—and what it means to be a professional. Professional service delivery is both explained and modeled. TLPA has engaged MeterStreet, LLC to assist with the roll-out of this program. The courses are in final “beta test-ing” and should be available for purchase in late February 2012. For additional information, or to enroll, contact TLPA at [email protected].

This is a revolutionary new program for our industry. We believe that using the TLPA Learning Center and the Taxicab Driver Education Courses, in particular, is the single most important step every taxciab operator can take to upgrade the level service and the image of the taxicab industry.

2011 TLPA Year in Review Working Together to Make a DifferenceContinued from page 8


TLPA CEO Alfred LaGasse, Director Dwight Kines with Joe Giannetto, Chair of the TLPA TOP committee help introduce the program.


The TLPA Pink Ride ProgramIn the second year of the TLPA Pink Ride

Program, TLPA was able to add a way for the public to contribute funds to the campaign without having drivers handle the funds. This was accomplished by the American Cancer Society agreeing to create a Text-to-Give number for TLPA member passengers to call to make an automatic $10 contribution and by the establishment of a TLPA Pink Ride contri-bution page on the American Cancer Society’s web site. In all, 57 TLPA member fleets in 51 communi-ties in 30 U.S. states, as well as, members in Canada and Australia participated in the program in 2011. In addition to over $65,000 contributed by TLPA member operators, an additional approximately $3,000 was raised from the public for a total contri-bution to the American Cancer Society of more than $67,000 from the TLPA Pink Ride program.

Committee Co-Chairs ActivitiesTLPA is a member driven organization. When

President McBride invited people to serve as co-chairs for various TLPA committees in 2011, he committed to them that he would do everything in his power to make them successful. To help keep that commitment, he held monthly and even biweekly conference calls with the co-chairs. The purpose of those calls was to let the co-chairs know that they had his full support, and he urged them to really work with their committee members to advance TLPA’s work program.

During the TLPA Annual Convention & Trade Show in San Francisco, President McBride especially acknowledged:

• An Executive Committee that really worked hard making critically important decisions for TLPA and our industry.


• The TOP Committee that worked dili-gently to further develop this program and make it available to the full membership.

• The Convention Planning Committee that did a great job of guiding us in the devel-opment of the convention.

• The Women In Transportation Committee that created a new wine tast-ing event, a fund raiser for the Foundation, and for creating a new annual award to recognize an outstanding contributor to women in transportation.

The Women In Transportation Committee will present an annual award to honor a person who increased the influence, participation and vis-ibility of women in transportation. The first ever award was presented to TLPA Past President Judy Swystun at the annual Women in Transportation dinner in San Francisco.

TLPA Legislative ProgramPresident McBride stated, “I have always been

impressed with TLPA’s legislative program. It amazes me what TLPA accomplishes with a very modest legislative budget and a bare bones TLPA- Political Action Committee (PAC). This is a credit to the Board of Directors that sets excellent policy direction, to staff that manages the program, to our lobbyist Ken Butler and his extended reach now that his firm merged with Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies, and to you, the members of TLPA, who fund the program.”

One of President McBride’s goals, which will continue even after his term as TLPA President ends, is to grow the TLPA-PAC. You will see photos of President McBride meeting with


TLPA members showed how they could work together to make a difference during the 2011 TLPA Pink Ride to benefit the American Cancer Society.

The Women in Transportation Dinner was held in San Francisco during the 93rd Annual Convention & Trade Show.


Members of Congress that are included in this magazine. The TLPA-PAC allows the association to reach out to Members of Congress who support our industry and to communicate our issues and concerns to them. With elections being so costly and races literally decided by a few votes in some cases, the TLPA grassroots’ efforts and financial support are critical to our continued legislative suc-cess. TLPA’s PAC is small and it needs to be beefed up with more contributions. In addition to being a Presidential election year, 2012 will see one-third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives up for election. After reading this article, TLPA hopes you will make a voluntary personal contribu-tion to the TLPA-PAC today. The most we can accept is $5,000 from one person in the form of a


personal check. Any amount you can send the PAC will be appreciated.

On March 24, President McBride was invited to testify on March 29, 2011, before the Highways and Transit Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The invitation was accepted that day and by the following day, as was required, TLPA submitted its eight-page written testimony calling for 28 enhancements to current federal transportation legislation. Over that week-end, staff worked with President McBride to create a four-minute oral presentation to present at the hear-ing to be held on Tuesday. President McBride did a great job of presenting the oral testimony in a stand-ing room only hearing room. The oral testimony focused on five key issues as noted below.


Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Robert McBride and I am the president of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association. Our over 1,000 member compa-nies operate over 100,000 passenger vehicles, transport well over 2 million passengers each day and over 900 million passengers each year. I am also owner of Metro Taxi of Denver.

I would like to ask that our full testimony be made a part of this hearing’s record. Following is a summary of five of our major issues we would like you to consider in the next federal transportation reauthorization bill:

1) Private Operator Rights—we urge you to continue to support all current provisions of the Federal Transit Act pertaining to the rights of private operators to participate to the maximum extent feasible in the planning and provision of public transit services. Private transportation companies, like my taxicab service in Denver, often provide the first and last segments of a pas-senger’s trip whether it is to or from the nearest transit terminal or airport. I am pleased to report to you that increasingly our industry is contracting with public transit authorities to provide cost effective complementary ADA paratransit services. This partnership between public and private providers needs to be improved and expanded so that collectively we can afford to enhance the general public’s mobility options.

2) Program Consolidation—we support the consolidation of the Elderly and Disabled Specialized Transit Program, the Job Access & Reverse Commute and the New Freedom program into the coordinated mobility initiative, while maintaining current law pertaining to each program in regard to funding eligibility, labor protection, and private operator subrecipient eligibility. The New Freedom program has been exceptionally valu-able for getting wheelchair accessible vehicles into taxicab fleets. Without this federal support for these much more costly vehicles, this level of new paratransit taxicab service would not exist today.

3) Distracted Driving Legislation—we urge the committee to explicitly recognize in the legislation that state or locally licensed commercial drivers providing for-hire passenger transportation services may continue to have access to their dispatch communication service that is necessary for the ordinary conduct of their business, as DOT has already done for federally licensed drivers of commercial motor vehicles.

4) RIDE Act Amendment—we request the committee support modifying the law such that an operator of a transportation terminal who is the recipient of federal funds may not charge a fee to any provider of prearranged transportation service except for 1) a fee that is charged to the general public, or 2) a fee that is determined by a DOT rulemaking for the availability of ancillary facilities at the transportation terminal, such as restrooms or vending machines made available to the drivers.

5) Repeal of Federal Labor Protections—in 1964 Congress enacted Section 13(c), the transit labor protection provision of the federal tran-sit act to maintain employee rights, privileges and benefits as they existed in the private sector prior to federal assistance and to protect employees against any adverse effects that might result from the initial provision of federal assistance to public transit. The goal of Congress in enacting Section 13(c), which is now section 5333(b), was to protect the rights, privileges, and benefits of employees as they existed prior to receipt of fed-eral funds, not to create a new series of employee rights, privileges, and benefits. These extra labor protections are no longer needed, and intrude into local decision-making and normal collective bargaining. In nearly every other industry where such extra labor protections existed, they have been eliminated. It is estimated that transit-operating costs could be reduced by hundreds of millions of dollars if this provision is repealed. Section 5333(b) is an unfunded mandate that is too intrusive and too expensive to keep on the books.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for this opportunity to present our views and I would be glad to answer any questions that you might have.

TLPA President McBride represented TLPA during testimony in a hearing on federal transportation legislation.


pliance, other license modifications can be made at this time to accommodate new productivity and safety applications.

Step 5 With your wireless sales and service pro-vider, establish an optimum migration plan (and budget) to accomplish necessary com-pliance and system enhancement goals. Systems that require up to 10 wireless devices to be reprogrammed or replaced will be far easier than systems with more than that, perhaps some of which cannot be “out-of-service” other than on off-hours or weekends.

Step 6 Contact/consult with the Enterprise Wireless Alliance for spectrum and licens-ing strategies, which may include current license reviews for narrowbanding applica-bility, and VHF/UHF spectrum analyses to identify optimum new shared or exclu-sive channels necessary to accommodate system expansion, migration to digital technologies and/or trunked systems. It is recommended that license applications be prepared and filed with the FCC prior to December 31, 2012. Simple 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz analog system license modifications do not require frequency coordination or FCC filing fees.

Step 7 Don’t wait to initiate this process! There is less than one year remaining to com-ply, and it is critical that you have secured the resources to comply with this long standing FCC narrowbanding mandate. Contact EWA if you have any questions. Remember, all questions are relevant.

Frequently Asked Questions➢ What happens if we don’t move to narrow-

band operation? Your license will be in violation of the

FCC Rules which could subject you to FCC enforcement actions including fines, admonishment or loss of system investments.

➢ Do we have to convert to digital when we change to narrowband operation?

There is no requirement to use a digi-tal technology when systems migrate to narrowband.

➢ Will we have more spectrum after we move to narrowband operation?

No, you will still be licensed on your origi-nal channels, but the system will occupy only 11 kHz of spectrum or less.

➢ What are the potential enforcement con-sequences for failing to narrowband by January 1, 2013?

Absent a waiver, licenses may be subject to an admonishment, license revocation, and/or mon-etary forfeiture of up to $16,000 for each such violation or each day of a continuing violation up to $112,500 for any single act or failure to act.

For more information about your narrowband compliance status, contact your wireless sales and service provider. The Enterprise Wireless Alliance can also help, as one of several certified frequency advisory committees, and one that many TLPA members rely on for license preparation and fre-quency selection services: 1-800-482-8282. n

Mark Crosby is President/CEO of Enterprise Wireless Alliance. EWA is an FCC-certified frequency advisory committee that provides license fulfillment, spectrum management, technology consulting and associated services to business enterprises, transportation entities, wireless service organizations and wireless manufacturers. Additional information about membership and services is available at www.enterprisewireless.org. EWA represents TLPA on

communications issues before the U.S. Government. Mark can be reached at [email protected] or 703-528-5115. © 2012 Mark CrosbyThe opinions and recommendations in this article are those of the author, and not those of TLPA or its transportation company members.

Index of AdvertisersAmerican Business Insurance Services ........... Inside Back Cover

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The Atlas Group of Companies ................................................11

New York Black Car Fund ........................................................37

Transportation Leader Winter 2012 25

It was the first time in TLPA’s history that a TLPA speaker was on the first panel in a hearing (in this case a two-day hearing) on federal trans-portation legislation. After the hearing, President McBride spent two days in meetings with Members and staff in the House and Senate advocating TLPA’s twenty-eight proposals to improve the federal transportation program. Important sup-port for several TLPA proposals were voiced by the Chairman of the hearing John Duncan (R-TN), the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee Jerry Costello (D-IL), and even Representative Peter King (R-NY) who is Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

President McBride later stated. “Representing our industry at the hearing that day and the follow-ing days of meetings on Capitol Hill were some of the most exciting events of my presidency.”

The industry faced other significant legislative issues in 2011, including new federal tax rules. The new Form 1099-K will have a broad impact on the transportation industry’s reporting obligations. For companies whose independent contractor drivers do not have their own merchant accounts, there are two layers to the Form 1099-K requirement. The company will receive a Form 1099-K from the entity that settles electronic payment transactions listing its total gross receipts from credit card transactions processed during the calendar year. The company must also file a Form 1099-K for each driver to whom it has paid or credited amounts on account of fares and tips paid by credit card, reporting the gross amount paid to the driver. The new rules went into effect on January 1, 2011. TLPA urged its members to put systems in place immediately to ensure they would comply with the new rules, widely seen as overly burdensome to an industry made up of small businesses. TLPA has issued a detailed Special Report found on its website (www.tlpa.org)


in the members’ only section. Charles M. Watkins, a tax lawyer with the firm of Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, LLP, who has worked with TLPA and its members for more than 25 years, wrote this report. All transportation companies who need clarification on this new regulation are urged to consult with their own accountants or legal counsel to learn their obligations under these new information-reporting requirements.

Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Foundation (TLPF)

One of the major activities of the TLPF is the Foundation’s ongoing video projects. A few years back the Foundation board voted to fund a program to capture the history of our industry. The process was started by engaging the Memory Factory of Miami Florida to interview and film as many past TLPA presidents as possible. The Foundation also requested that TLPA members loan the Foundation their industry memorabilia to incorporate into the video. Everything went so well with the his-tory video the first year that the TLPF Board of Directors decided to expand the project by adding an industry promo video and a TLPA promo video, so collectively the Foundation is currently funding three different video projects. The interview pro-cess was expanded to include many stalwarts of our industry that were not association past presidents. The Memory Factory has traveled the country far and wide over the past few years conducting these interviews.

Martin Zilber made a substantial donation to establish the Foundation’s Zilber Fund a few years back with the stipulation that all monies dispersed from this fund go toward funding a scholarship for a worthy recipient. The Foundation board, with Martin Zilber’s approval, decided it would


Chairman of the hearing John Duncan (R-TN), the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee Jerry Costello (D-IL), and also Representative Peter King (R-NY) who is Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee met with TLPA President McBride. Also pictured in the last photo is TLPA Legislative Counsel Ken Butler (left) and TLPA CEO Alfred LaGasse (right).



be appropriate to let the host operator from our annual convention site choose the scholarship recipient. Because there were 3 host operators in San Francisco, Sam Amato with Gateway Limousines Worldwide, John Lazar with Luxor Cab and Jim Gillespie with Yellow Cab Cooperative, each chose a child of one of their drivers or employees to receive a scholarship check for $500 each. The recipients were:

• Diana Bader, daughter of Luxor cab driver, Saeed Bader. Diana is a stu-dent at the University of San Francisco where she is enrolled in the Master’s in Nursing program.

• Bipop Upreti, son of long-time Yellow Cab Cooperative driver, Prithvi Upreti. Bipop is a student at Skyline Junior College.

• Jamie Sleeper, stepdaughter of John Debenedetto, former chauffeur and now Manager of Corporate Sales for Gateway Limousines Worldwide. Jamie is attending the College of San Mateo to get her degree in Nursing.

TLPF is taking on the management and over-sight of the Transportation On Patrol program. The implementation of a global TOP program has been one of TLPA president’s Robert McBride’s major initiatives as TLPA president. There are numerous instances where the program has already proven to be successful in the markets where TLPA member companies have implemented the program. Taking over the TOP program, which started with Robert and the TLPA, is a natural fit for the Foundation because of the associated educational and promotional benefits. In a synop-sis, the Foundation, in conjunction with e-Cubed Learning, will be developing an on-line—at any time program, to provide the for-hire transporta-tion industry an affordable standardized education-al resource for TOP implementation. The primary overall objectives of this program are to:

1. Explain to transportation companies, police departments and public officials the value of implementing a TOP program in their community;

2. Educate transportation companies the recommended process for implementing a TOP program;

3. Educate drivers how to effectively partici-pate in the TOP program; and

4. Provide a funding stream that will recover up-front program development costs and provide funding support for on-going pro-gram maintenance, marketing, revisions and enhancements.

At the conclusion of the TLPF business meet-ing in San Francisco, outgoing TLPF President Houston then introduced the 2012 TLPF President Murray Rosenberg. He stated, “Murray’s passion for our Foundation is only equaled by his passion for our Association. I can assure you Murray will be a great steward of the ongoing TLPF projects and he is more than capable of taking the lead on any new projects the Foundation board may adopt.”

ConclusionIn this magazine, we have also summarized

three great TLPA meetings of 2011. At the end of his “State of the Industry” presentation in San Francisco, Robert McBride stated, “We have very serious challenges before us, such as, doing our fair share to be green, doing our fair share to be accessible, doing our fair share in community pro-grams, upgrading our quality of service, and much more. We will only be successful as long as we work productively together to oppose actions that are bad for our industry and by being proactive on issues we should address. We have done that this year, and we need to do it every year by coor-dinating our efforts through TLPA. I will make one final pledge to you as TLPA President. I will not fade away from this great organization and I will support Mary Smarelli as she leads TLPA into the future. So I close out my year the same way I began it, by stressing my theme of: Working Together to Make a Difference. Thank you again for your great support this year.” n

Past President Martin Zilber established the Foundation’s Zilber Fund.

TLPF President Murray Rosenberg thanked all of the attendees at the first ever Women in Transportation Wine Tasting fund raiser event for TLPF.


Meetings and Conventions

TLPA Meetings in 2011

The 2011 Spring Conference & Expo

The second largest TLPA Spring Conference & Expo, in the history of the TLPA took place at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago, Illinois from April 12-15, 2011. TLPA President Robert McBride and Commissioner Norma I. Reyes of the City of Chicago welcomed more than 375 transportation industry professionals, including but not limited to, TLPA members, industry leaders, colleagues and friends to this record breaking TLPA conference.

As on-site registration and set-up of the Expo Hall took place, the TLPA Taxicab and Paratransit Steering Committees met. To end the first day, attendees and vendors gathered in the Expo Hall of over 45 vendor exhibits for the Opening Cocktail Reception with an open bar sponsored by the American Business Insurance Services, Inc.

The second official day of the conference started with a breakfast buf-fet and the official opening of the exhibits in the Expo Hall. As the buffet breakfast came to an end, the Expo Hall closed and attendees were invited to the General Session where President McBride welcomed all to the 2011 TLPA Spring Conference & Expo. Following the President’s opening address was Commission Norma I. Reyes from the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection. Known for making significant advancements in Chicago’s transportation system, Commissioner Reyes, was introduced by host operator Mike Levine of Chicago’s Premier Taxi Affiliations. She delivered a warm welcome to her City and to two exciting days of education and networking.

Following the welcome addresses came remarks from Platinum Sponsors Michael Levine of Chicago’s Premier Taxi Affiliations, and Jesse Davis of Creative Mobile Technologies, then the Legislative Update by President McBride. Thereafter, Justin Rakestraw of SCR Medical Transportation in Chicago, Host Operator Tour sponsor, provided a preview of the tour that

would be taking place on Thursday, April 14.TLPF Foundation President Ellis Houston pre-

sented a New Video highlighting the value of TLPA. The Call for Nominations presented by TLPA President-Elect Mary Smarelli also took place during the Spring Conference. The conference Gold Sponsor Mike Francis of Transit General in Chicago, IL also delivered remarks to attendees. Next, President McBride introduced one of TLPA’s three new pro-grams Transportation On Patrol (TOP). The pre-sentation was led by Joe Giannetto, Chair of TLPA Transportation On Patrol Committee, and included Officer Larry L. Stevenson of Metro Taxi in Denver, CO who gave inspiring and encouraging words about the program and how it is making a difference. Afterwards, Lt. Steven Addison of the Denver Police Department echoed the great work of the program in his community.

TLPA CEO LaGasse introduced another new program, the TLPA-VISA Taxicab Driver Incentive Program. This program was open to all TLPA member taxicab companies and affiliated taxicab drivers that accept credit card payments. In all, 60


The 2nd largest TLPA Spring Conference & Expo, in the history of the TLPA took place at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago, Illinois from April 12-15, 2011

©2012 City of Chicago



companies participated in the program and 154 drivers are being recognized as the top producing credit/debit card processors in those companies. In total, 60 top producing drivers received $350 each, with 54 second producing drivers receiving $275 each, and 40 third producing drivers receiv-ing $200 each.

Finally, John Boit of Melwood Global, Washington, DC and Steve Rabb of the American Cancer Society offices in Atlanta, GA unveiled the our newest Public Relations initiative, the TLPA Pink Ride to benefit the American Cancer Society program, designed to support the American Cancer Society in its efforts to heighten breast cancer aware-ness and raise funds to fight the disease and provide effective treatments. While the buffet luncheon took place, the Exhibits re-opened from 12:15 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. allowing attendees to continue network-ing with others and learn about the latest products and services of the industry.

On Wednesday afternoon, three divisional concurrent breakout sessions were held. The first for the Taxicab division, discussed the 1099-K Implementation Strategies For Independent

Contractor Drivers presented by Chip Watkins, Esq., Webster Chamberlain & Bean in Washington, DC. Concurrently, the first for the Paratransit & Contracting Session discussed Private Sector Involvement in the Planning & Provision of Public Transportation a session moderated by Harold Morgan, Executive Vice President of the TLPA. Speakers Stephen Polito, of the Federal Transit Administration—Region V in Chicago, Michael Bolton of Pace Bus, Arlington Heights, IL and Joe Rubino, J. M. Rubino Transit Consulting, St. Augustine, FL shared their thoughts on the roles private operators can play in the provision of public transit services.

The second concurrent division breakout sessions then took place. The Taxicab division offered a panel on Strategies for Dealing with Illegal Operators, Hotel Doormen, and Other Problems, where Jerry Campolongo of Pittsburgh Transportation Group served as a mod-erator. Ellis Houston of Yellow Cab of Birmingham, AL and Dwight Kines of Veolia Transportation in Baltimore, MD as well as William Rouse of L.A. Yellow Cab Co-Op made presentations. The


Continued from page 28

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TLPA Spring Conference & Expo in New Orleans, LA, May 6–9, 2012

Join TLPA President Mary Smarelli for the 2012 Spring Conference and Expo in “the most fun and authentic city in America, New Orleans, LA!” We’ll convene at the DoubleTree by Hilton New Orleans, located on Canal Street, where President Smarelli will direct our focus to the most cur-rent issues and information affecting our industry.

Why New Orleans/French Quarter?“The original settlement of New Orleans, called Vieux Carré, French

Quarter or simply The Quarter, is the oldest neighborhood in the city. Established by the French in 1718, the location was, and is still, a valuable site for trade due to its strategic position along the Mississippi River. The district as a whole, bound by Canal Street, Decatur Street, Esplanade Avenue and Rampart Street, is a National Historic Landmark. So much of what makes New Orleans unique is captured in the melting pot atmosphere of the French Quarter—from the raucous party atmo-sphere of Bourbon Street to the bohemian elegance of Royal. It’s a neighborhood full of surprises and magic.” (source: http://www.neworleanscvb.com/visit/neighborhoods/french-quarter/)

What is even more exciting about this year’s conference destination is the fact that the New Orleans Jazz Fest will be tak-ing place just before the Spring Conference & Expo begins! For information about the Jazz Festival, visit nojazzfest.com. The TLPA will have a limited number of rooms in the room block for those who would like to arrive earlier than May 6. So, this is your chance to explore New Orleans as we meet for TLPA’s 2012 Spring Conference & Expo!

The ConferenceThis year’s conference will take place over three days. According

to the tentative agenda, registration will open on Sunday at 12:30 p.m., followed by the open committee meetings for the Taxicab Committee and the Paratransit & Contracting Committee. The first day of the Spring Conference & Expo will end with the Opening Cocktail Reception in the Expo Hall from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Monday morning will begin with a Breakfast Buffet in the Expo Hall followed by the General Session, which will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. There will be a Buffet Luncheon in the Expo Hall with our exhibitors and at this time the Exhibits will re-open. The Women In Transportation Committee will begin at 1:30 p.m. Then the exhibits will close and three Concurrent Breakout Sessions, to include the Limousine Steering Committee Open Meeting will take place from 3:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. A Continental Breakfast and an Open Meeting of the TLPA Board of Directors will take place Tuesday morning from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The board will discuss what course the association will take for the coming year including establishing the legislative agenda; reviewing the status of the strate-gic plan and propose future meeting site selections. For more detailed information visit the TLPA web site at www.tlpa.org. n © 2012 New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau


TLPA attendees

participated in a questions

and answer session,

during the Spring

Conference & Expo held in Chicago, IL.

Paratransit & Contracting division, gave their second breakout session on How to Identify Costs in the Bidding Process, presented by Harold Morgan, Executive V.P. of the TLPA. The Limousine & Sedan Committee held an open meeting during both breakfast sessions to address issues and recent information concerning the division members.

Later the attendees gathered for an evening of dining and entertainment at the House of Blues Chicago. This event was fully sponsored by Creative Mobile Technologies, Chicago’s Premier Taxi Affiliations (Yellow Cab Affiliation, Checker Taxi Affiliation, and American United Taxi Affiliation), McClure & Associates and Transit General. As guests arrived, they were greeted by House of Blues wait staff serving hors d’oeuvres and offering a selection of libations from an open bar. As the night developed, Morry Sochat & The Special 20’s a Chicago Blues, Swing and Rock N’ Roll band took the stage and entertained guests while they socialized and enjoyed drinks and sumptuous food.

On Thursday, the last day of the conference, attendees were able to enjoy a continental breakfast. An open meeting of the TLPA Board of Directors also took place that morning from 9:00 a.m. to noon where the board discussed what course the Association will take for the coming year in addition to discussing future TLPA conference and conven-tion destinations.

The Host Operator Tour of SCR Medical Transportation concluded the 2011 Spring Conference & Expo. Participants were picked up from the Hyatt Regency Chicago hotel by motor coach. When participants arrived they were wel-comed by the SCR’s ownership, and following the welcoming they had lunch and then the tour of SCR’s exceptional facilities.

TLPA Mid-Year International Leadership Conference

Rome, Italy welcomed more than 50 leaders to the 2011 TLPA Mid-Year International Leadership Conference July 27-29. Thought-provoking general session topics were designed to compare and con-trast how transportation companies operated around the world. Attendees had a phenomenal tour of the Colloseum and RadioTaxi 3570, the largest taxicab organization in Rome with 3,500 taxicabs.

On Wednesday, July 27, the conference opened with the TLPA Board Meeting. Board members met to discuss and decide on association related business beginning with President McBride’s report on membership, finances and legislation, followed by a review of TLPA’s new draft PR handbook on social media, and an update on the taxicab driver education program. The first day of the conference ended with a Welcome Cocktail Reception.

On Thursday, July 28, the day began with a Breakfast Buffet followed by a General Session that included a welcome by Robert McBride, TLPA President who introduced our host operator, Loreno Bittarelli, President of RadioTaxi 3570, Valentino Masci, Head of Public Relations for RadioTaxi 3570 and their interpreter. President Bittarelli welcomed everyone to Rome and invited all to tour RadioTaxi 3570 the following day. President McBride then introduced the first general session panel on Green Vehicles and Wheelchair Accessibility. This ses-sion was presented by Mathew Daus, President of the International Association of Transportation Regulators and Geoffrey Riesel, Radio Taxis Group in London. Mr. Daus discussed the development of a new paradigm for taxicabs providing govern-ment finance paratransit service, while Mr. Riesel presented the how, what, why and benefits of Radio Taxis becoming the first carbon neutral taxicab company in the world.

After a Roman style coffee break (coffee, tea, espresso and snacks) a panel on Regulations for Entry, Vehicles, Fares, Safety and Service Quality was presented by Djamchid Dalili, G7 Taxi Service of Paris and Robbie Werth, Diamond Transportation Services of Washington, DC. Mr. Dalili focused on the key factors that must be present in regulations for the industry to remain healthy and provide qual-ity service while Mr. Werth focused his remarks on the need for stability in the management of entry standards for the industry.

Attendees took a break for a sumptuous lunch and then continued on with a series of panel discus-sions. The first afternoon general session on tech-




TLPA 93rd Annual Convention & Trade ShowThe seventh largest TLPA Annual Convention

& Trade Show had over 850 attendees from 10 countries gathered at the San Francisco Hilton Union Square Hotel in San Francisco, CA. on October 26-30, 2011. TLPA’s 93rd Annual Convention & Trade Show, Working Together to Make a Difference delivered 18 Concurrent Roundtables, 15 Concurrent Breakout Sessions, and 3 General Sessions.

TLPA also offered a number of networking opportunities. For the Annual Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Foundation/Gateway Insurance Golf Tournament at the Presidio Golf Course, there were 71 players—one of our largest attended Golf Tournaments ever! Also, the Women In Transportation Committee held a Wine Tasting to benefit the TLPF. Attendees enjoyed a Grand Opening Cocktail Reception, with Hors d’oeuvres sponsored by Creative Mobile Technologies and an Open Bar sponsored by BB&T John Burnham Insurance Services. There was a Leaders In Transportation Dinner hosted by the Women In Transportation Committee which presented it’s first ever award for Outstanding Contributor to Women in Transportation to Judy Swystun of Black & White Cabs in Norfolk, VA. There were two host operator tours by Gateway Limousine Worldwide and by Yellow Cab Cooperative, Inc. of San Francisco. A Member Appreciation Cocktail reception had an Open Bar sponsored by Taxi Magic powered by RideCharge and Snacks spon-sored by Digital Dispatch Systems. Finally, the Silent Auction to benefit the TLPA Action Fund was held at the Closing Banquet, where MTData sponsored the entertainment by Butch Whacks and the Glass Packs.

At the Opening General Session, TLPA President Robert McBride welcomed TLPA members to the convention. Gene Hauck presented TLPA’s Online Driver Education Program. IATR President Matthew Daus addressed IATR activities and priori-ties. The Operator of the Year Awards were presented

nology addressing Communications and Marketing was presented by Geoffrey Riesel, Radio Taxis Group of London and William Rouse, L. A. Yellow Cab Co-Op of Los Angeles. Mr. Riesel focused his comments on social media and viral market-ing (showing examples of each), while Mr. Rouse addressed communication delivery models and how public communication networks are now becom-ing practical (in terms of costs and better coverage) in many cases for larger fleets that currently have private radio networks. After another exceptional Roman coffee break, a panel on Training for Drivers and Customer Service Representatives was presented by Djamchid Dalili, G7 Taxi Service of Paris and Mike Fogarty, Tristar Services US of Boston. Mr. Dalili reviewed how taxicab drivers in Paris pay 2,000 Euro (approximately $2,855 U.S.) for three months of classroom and on-the-street driver edu-cation program and that his company is expanding to add online components to the program. Mr. Fogarty outlined the seven courses (orientation, client services agent expectations, communication styles, reservation process & telephone skills, con-sultative selling skills, handling irate callers, resolv-ing customer complaints) his company requires their customer service representatives complete during their first six months of work, noting the quality of their agents has improved significantly as a result of the training program.

On Friday morning, July 29, attendees were taken on a guided tour of the Colloseum. After walking through the spectacular Colloseum, attendees were transported to RadioTaxi 3570. President Bittarelli of RadioTaxi 3570 walked attendees through the various departments such as maintenance, dispatch, and administration. During the questions and answers, everyone learned that there are a total of 8,000 taxis permitted to oper-ate in Rome. Each taxi license is owned by a taxi driver and each driver is limited to owning only one license. Further, each license is limited to a specific eight-hour shift (early, mid-day, or night). After the tour, an exceptional lunch was provided to TLPA members and RadioTaxi 3570’s manage-ment team. When asked about the luxurious office that RadioTaxi 3570 has, Mr. Bittarelli noted that it was formerly a home owned by movie star Roger Moore, which explains the nice neighborhood loca-tion and the large swimming pool at the taxi com-pany headquarters. After a day of tours, networking and relationship building, attendees were given a scenic ride back to the hotel.




RadioTaxi 3570 headquarters, where TLPA members were welcomed in for an operator tour of the largest taxicab organization in Rome.


to Paratransit Operator of the Year, David R. Reid, Select Ride, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI; Limousine Operator of the Year, Robert Alexander, RMA Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation, Rockville, MD and Taxicab Operator of the Year, Michael Levine, Arthur Cab Leasing Corp., Long Island City, NY.

During the Second General Session, TLPA President McBride provided an overview of his year in office, saying he was pleased that TLPA has recruited 233 new members from all over the world, making TLPA the largest it has ever been as TLPA crossed the 1,100-member mark for the first time in TLPA history. Along with all TLPA program’s development, he noted continued support of the TLPA Pink Ride pro-gram, and announced the initiation of the TLPA Transportation On Patrol program. The 2011 TLPA Driver of the year awards were presented to Maurice Davis, Challenger Transportation, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD, the Paratransit Driver of the Year, Kebba Ndow, ExecuCar, National Harbor, MD (his widow accepted his award posthumously) the Limousine Chauffeur of the Year, and Frank Brooks, Black & White Cabs, Norfolk, VA Taxicab Driver of the Year.



At the third General Session, the Foundation report and the TPLF History Project video was presented by TLPF President Houston. The mem-bers elected Officers and Directors.

Newly-elected President, Mary Smarelli out-lined her priorities for TLPA and asked members to increase their involvement in industry legislative and regulatory issues expected to arise over the next year. President Smarelli will also update the TLPA’s strategic plan, support the industry’s annual charity program efforts and promote involvement in the Transportation On Patrol program. She encouraged members to further strengthen the TLPA through new member recruitment and retention efforts.

The exceptional Trade Show had 12 vehicle exhibit displays and 89 booth displays including 20 new exhibitors! Photos are available on the TLPA group page on Facebook.

The Annual Convention & Trade Show, one of the highest rated ever in TLPA history, was rated excellent by 56% and good by 43% of attendees who responded to our survey. Join TLPA in Las Vegas for the 94th Annual Convention & Trade Show at Caesars Palace. Information will soon be available online at www.tlpa.org. n

The Taxi Test London Didn’t Win (And Wasn’t Even In)


able result. And yes, they do exist, the great taxi drivers in clean vehicles, the taxi ride a real pleasure. But looked at in detail, there was not one trip that met all the conditions. There are points for improve-ment everywhere. This goes from taking out the bad apples amongst the drivers, paying more attention to the cleanliness of the cab and the (un)clarity of rates to the (general) acceptance of credit cards.

A few more suggestions from the very precise German testers: uniform taxi standards, a more transparent and uniform fare structure, improved driver training, a minimum of ‘tourist info’, a driver photo-ID in each cab and… a clear and efficient complaint structure. n

Wim Faber is part of Challans & Faber bvba (www.challans-faber.eu), a business communications company based in Brussels, Belgium. He also contributes to a variety of European transportation publications. He welcomes comments and can be contacted at [email protected]. © 2012 Wim FaberThe opinions and recommendations in this article are those of the author, and not those of TLPA or its transportation company members.

2012 TLPA Meeting Dates

Spring Conference & ExpoDoubleTree by Hilton New Orleans

New Orleans, LAMay 6–9, 2012

Mid-Year International Leadership ConferenceHilton Hotel & Suites

Niagara Falls, CANADAJuly 18–21, 2012

94th Annual Convention & Trade ShowCaesars PalaceLas Vegas, NV

October 26–30, 2012

For more information, visit the TLPA web site at www.tlpa.org


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