National Limousine Association Applauds Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner's Fight for Comprehensive Regulation of Ride-Hailing Services

My name is Gary Buffo and I am the President of The National Limousine Association (NLA). The NLA is an organization comprised of ground transportation providers across the globe, committed to upholding the integrity of our industry. We go to great lengths to ensure that drivers and passengers consistently travel in the safest conditions possible. We insist transportation providers properly screen all drivers, perform comprehensive background checks, comply with all training standards, undergo routine drug screening, and comply with all regulations established by responsible municipalities. To that end, we launched the Ride Responsibly (www.rideresponsibly.org) initiative to further educate the public about the current risks involved in utilizing ride-hailing services.

Your allegiance to your citizens' wellbeing with regard to Transportation Network Companies (TNC), such as Uber and Lyft has been unfolding in the brightest of spotlights. As such, I feel compelled to publically voice my own, as well as The NLA's support for you and your stance on this critical issue. The TNCs have used innovative technology to introduce the populace to the convenience that ground transportation providers bring to the public at large. The NLA not only acknowledges, but embraces these technological advancements. However, we also know that the implementation of technology does not grant us immunity from the laws and regulations that have been put into place to protect drivers and passengers. Technology must not progress faster than the government's ability to safeguard our citizens.

The drivers of these TNCs operate in a manner that – with few exceptions – mirrors taxi and private "black car" services, and interact with a large cross section of your populous in Houston. It is only fair that the citizens of your great city step into a TNC-operated vehicle with the same confidence and security they have when using any other means of private ground transportation.

The National Limousine Association applauds you, and proudly stands by your side.

Thank you,

Gary Buffo
President
National Limousine Association

ABOUT THE NLA:

The National Limousine Association is a non-profit organization responsible for and dedicated to representing the interests of the private driver transportation industry at the global, national, state, and local level. It is the unified voice of this industry – linking transportation industry professionals from owners and operators to suppliers, manufacturers, regional and state limousine associations. With more than 2,000 NLA members, the Association is committed to exceeding expectations with regards to professionalism, transportation efficiency and safe riding.

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 establishes 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 focuses 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

Related Links

http://limo.org