It’s that time of year again and the TLPA is gearing up for their spring convention during May 8-11 in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (our Fall conference recap). It was my honor earlier this month to sit on the Paratransit Steering Committee meeting for the first time. If you are not actively involved in the TLPA, or perhaps you are not even familiar with it, I highly recommend that you check into the organization. The TLPA originally started as the National Association of Taxicab Owners (NATO) in 1917 and has transformed over the years into what we now know as the Taxi, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA).
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The TLPA is actively involved in state and federal legislation that affects the Taxi, Limo, and Paratransit industry in the United States. Two of the hot topics right now are the looming threat of the Vehicle Miles Traveled tax (VMT) and of course the Affordable Healthcare Act and how it will affect business owners. While we all hear about the Affordable Healthcare Act on the news, what some industry owners may not be aware of is the proposed VMT tax. The VMT tax is a mileage-based fee, or road user charge, that charges motorists on how many miles they have traveled. In the US, a VMT tax currently exists for some 5,000 volunteer drivers in Oregon and for trucking operations in Illinois. The reason for the proposed VMT tax is to replace or supplement the fuel tax, which, due to more individuals purchasing fuel efficient vehicles, has generated billions less in revenue for the government. Both of these topics will be discussed at the spring convention along with numerous others.
What I have noticed since being involved in the TLPA is the number of Paratransit companies that are unaware of the existence of this organization. Not only is the TLPA involved in the legislation around this industry, but they also hold trade shows at their semi-annual and annual conventions. The trade show involves numerous vendors promoting their transportation products and services, ranging from companies that sell propane conversion packages, onboard monitoring systems, GPS systems, vehicle conversion packages, insurance companies, Medicaid brokers and many more.
For more information on these topics or the TLPA, please contact myself or anyone at Sovereign Risk Solutions.
Author: Amanda Crews
