TLPA

TLPA MID-YEAR INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN PARIS

by HAL MORGAN, TLPA DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

TLPA held its first annual Mid-Year International Leadership Conference in Paris, France, on July 9-12, 2008. The conference was a big hit with operational and regulatory discussions spanning the globe. The world perspective showed just how much in common our industry has with just about everywhere in the world. If it were not for the accents of our various speakers and the nuances of different federal laws, one could have thought they were attending the TLPA Spring Conference in Kansas City. Of course, the ornate meeting room at the Westin Paris Hotel and the foreign exchange rate for euros made it very clear we were far, far away from Kansas (City).

Educational Sessions

The featured speaker at the Conference was Sherry Little, Deputy Administrator of the federal Transit Administration. Joining Ms. Little on a panel to discuss Government and Private Sector Working Together were:

• TLPA president Brian Hunt,
  
  
  
• Federal Transit Administration Chief Counsel, Severn Miller, and
  
  
  
• Ron Hartman of Veolia Transportation.

Deputy Administrator Little urged private operators to get involved with the private sector. She used the analogy of a turtle which has to stick out its head to get anywhere but in the end “slow and steady wins the race.” She said private operators have “to stick your necks out to make progress.”

The panel on Customer Service programs and Policies featured:

• Sege Metz, Chairman of Taxis G7, Paris, France,
  
  
  
• Geoffrey Riesel, Chairman of Radio Taxis Group, London, England, and
  
  
  
• Jim Donnelly, President of Aboutown Transportation, London, Ontario, Canada.

All agreed on the need to for taxicab companies to focus more on Customer Service. President Hunt asked a series of questions and the panel shared how their respective organizations each dealt with customer service issues. Operational Challenges was an interesting panel that featured:

• Djamchid, CEO of G7 Taxis,
  
  
  
• Blair Davies, CEO of the Australian Taxi Industry Association, and
  
  
  
• Wayne Baden, Counsel to the New York Black Car Fund, New York, New York.

TLPA President-Elect Rick Hewatt asked questions about alternative fuel vehicles, accessible vehicles, labor laws regarding drivers and many other interesting, relevant topics.

Company Tours

G7 Taxis hosted an informative tour of the three locations that serve the taxi industry's needs in Paris from their call center to their vehicle maintenance facility which doubles as a sales center, to the shop where meters, radios and even televisions are installed. The tour took an entire afternoon and was judged well worth it for everyone who took the opportunity.

Veolia Transportation of France hosted a private cruise down the Seine River with an open bar and a wide variety of hors d’oeuvres. During the cruise participants saw many of the famous buildings that Paris is known for. They also saw the lighting of the Eiffel Tower.

The next TLPA meeting is the 90th Annual Convention and Trade Show in Tampa, Florida, October 29-29. For registration and hotel information, visit TLPA’s web site at:
http://www.tlpa.org/meetings/08annual_convention.cfm

Planning Ahead: TLPA Seminars to Enhance the Contracting and Business Opportunities for Private Operators

A grant has been awarded to TLPA from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to assist private for-hire vehicle operators in understanding and becoming involved in their local Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and statewide planning processes and the opportunities for business that may follow. A key component of this technical assistance program is a training seminar that will equip private operators with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to more fully participate in these planning processes, understand the benefits of getting involved, and ultimately identify opportunities to tap into additional revenue opportunities and expand services.

These one-day training seminars will be conducted this fall in:

• Chicago (November 5),
  
  
  
• Denver (November 7),
  
  
  
• Las Vegas (September 230,
  
  
  
• Tampa (October 26), and
  
  
  
• Alexandria, Virginia (September 16).

In addition, if a private operator has a question on how private operators should be involved in the planning process, or how to overcome problems the operator is having getting involved in the planning process, or for assistance in developing a service to be considered in the planning process, TLPA is prepared to help. Call our toll free technical assistance hotline at 1 866-928-6550 and ask to speak with Hal Morgan. He will discuss your needs and identify the appropriate type of assistance. Initial assistance is provided at no cost to the operator.

TLPA has selected the KFH Group, Bethesda. Maryland, and J.M. Rubino Consulting, St. Augustine, Florida, to develop and conduct these training seminars. We recognize the key role private transportation providers play in community transportation services and how their inclusion in the MPO statewide, and local planning processes is critical to ensure the development of mobility options which are needed in most communities. These mobility options are especially vital to older adults, people with disabilities, and people with lower incomes.

The training seminar format and supporting materials will be practical, easy to understand, and most importantly, easy to use in operators’ businesses and in their communities. The training will:

• help identify beneficial opportunities for involvement in companies’ local and statewide planning processes,
  
  
  
  
• provide real world examples (both success stories as well as unsuccessful efforts),
  
  
  
• offer the chance for operators to share their experiences, and
  
  
  
• to draw information from other participants.

Through these educational seminars, TLPA hopes to provide private operators with an appropriate understanding of the planning processes and organizations so they can ask the pertinent questions and make more informed decisions regarding their needed level of involvement.

These educational seminars will also:

• discuss business opportunities that involve new or stronger partnerships with transportation planners, human service agencies, and others in the community, and
  
  
  
• review the issues and requirements that may hinder effective involvement in the planning processes and
  
  
  
• discuss possible ways to overcome these potential barriers.

The cost for attending these seminars is $35. Registration information can be found on TLPA’s web site at www.tlpa.org.

Hal Morgan, TLPA Executive Vice President, submitted this article.

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