Kalamazoo Shooting Prompts The National Limousine Association To Issue Nationwide Survey

Startling Results Trigger the Announcement of the Day on the Hill Initiative

News provided by

Mar 14, 2016, 08:05 ET

NEW YORK, March 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to learn more about the thoughts and opinions of the general public following the horrific shooting spree by an on-duty Uber driver in Michigan last month, the National Limousine Association (NLA) issued a nationwide survey on the subjects of safety and communications in the private ground transportation industry. The survey, conducted online by Harris Poll and commissioned by the National Limousine Association (limo.org) in February 2016 among over 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, reveals that an overwhelming 93% of consumers feel they should be able to contact a car service operator or dispatcher in real-time if they do not feel safe during a car service ride. Additionally, 9 in 10 say passengers of all car services should have the ability to speak to a live customer service operator or dispatcher at any time and 85% of consumers believe that it should be the sole responsibility of the car service provider to discipline or relieve a driver of their duties if they are driving or behaving in an unsafe manner. These startling results have prompted the announcement of the NLA's 2016 Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C on April 26-27.

Ride Responsibly is an initiative established by the National Limousine Association to enlighten and inform the public at large, in an effort to ensure safer ground transportation. The campaign will bridge an industry-wide gap between the rights of passengers and the responsibility of service providers. (PRNewsFoto/National Limousine Association)

"The tragic and horrific acts committed in Kalamazoo, Michigan are the latest in a string of incidents involving ride-hailing service drivers, many of which could have been avoided or averted with due diligence and basic communications protocols. Without suitably comprehensive background checks to prevent unfit drivers from getting behind the wheel or reliable early-warning standards and practices to monitor, respond and react to potentially dangerous driver situations, these services are putting passengers, drivers and the general public at risk. As the survey results illustrate, the public overwhelmingly believes that car service users should have access to a live customer service operator, which ride-hailing application services such as Uber and Lyft do not provide. This lack of real-time communications with these service providers is putting the lives of millions in our communities at risk, including drivers, passengers and the general public," said Scott Solombrino, NLA co-founder.

To this end, the National Limousine Association, a not-for-profit organization responsible for and dedicated to representing the interests of the private driver ground transportation industry, launched Ride Responsibly™ (www.rideresponsibly.org) in February 2015. The program is an unprecedented effort to bridge an industry-wide gap between the rights of passengers and the responsibilities of service providers, promoting best practices in regards to driver and passenger safety and duty of care. The NLA will meet with legislators and decision makers in Washington next month in order to raise awareness and garner support for the universal safety, privacy and accountability standards so profoundly needed in the industry.

"The NLA and its members understand and champion customer service as a cornerstone of our business, and value personal contact and relationships, both with drivers and passengers, as one of the most critical aspects of their responsibility as transportation providers," adds Gary Buffo, NLA president. "The ability to identify, address and rectify customer, employee and safety issues, in order to offer exemplary service, is the mission of our members and their organizations, and a mission that we feel is glaringly absent from the agenda of ride-hailing services, which all too often leads to disastrous consequences. We urge our legislative leaders to consider improved accountability and uniformity for background checks and access to live customer service operators, for all related personnel, to maximize safety for consumers, employees and others on the highways and roads."

Methodology:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of the National Limousine Association from February 25-29, 2016 among 2,082 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].

ABOUT THE NLA:
The National Limousine Association is the worldwide voice of the chauffeured transportation industry, comprised of more than 2000 members, including industry professionals, owners and operators, as well as regional and state limousine associations, that encompass nearly fifty thousand vehicles. Formed in 1985, the NLA is a non-profit organization responsible for and dedicated to representing the interests of the chauffeured ground transportation industry at the global, national, state, and local level. For additional information on the NLA, please visit www.limo.org.

ABOUT RIDE RESPONSIBLY™:
The Ride Responsibly™ campaign is an unprecedented effort to bridge an industry-wide gap between the rights of passengers and the responsibilities of service providers. The campaign will establish best safety practices for prearranged car services and transportation network companies (TNCs), which include ride-hailing app car services, such as Lyft, Sidecar, Uber and Whisk. This initiative by the National Limousine Association is designed to help address growing public concern and provide a forum for all to voice their views on the ground transportation industry. The program will focus on educating both service providers and the public about regulations, legislation and best practices within the industry. The goal is to empower and inform the public at large, and drivers and operators alike with the necessary tools to Ride Responsibly™. For additional information on Ride Responsibly™, please visit www.rideresponsibly.org.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150728/246686LOGO
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160122/325128LOGO

SOURCE National Limousine Association