The Ontario Limousine Owners Association (OLOA) held its annual general meeting last month and reports that approximately 75 members attended. The OLOA enjoyed dinner and heard from speakers from the insurance and credit card processing industries.

OLOA Treasurer Phil Bozzelli says there were several major items discussed pertaining to members. For the past few months the OLOA has been working on an amendment to a Toronto bylaw that doesn’t allow vehicles to stop for pickups during morning and afternoon rush hour. Taxis are exempt from this bylaw and the OLOA has successfully added livery vehicles to that exemption.

A pilot project has also begun in Ontario that allows taxis and livery vehicles to use high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, even if only the driver is inside the car. To ensure that their vehicles are not stopped by police, operators must have license plates on their back bumpers to identify themselves. Operators are excited to see how this project works out.

Bozzelli says the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) announced that its pre-arranged vehicle service fees have gone up. Sedans will go from $13 to $15, and stretch limousines will rise from $24 to $27. This has spurred OLOA to re-establish its airport committee and make contact with the GTAA. Unfortunately, the fees will not be rolled back, according to Bozzelli, but he says some positives have come out of the communication. “There are new administrators at the GTAA and they are excited to hear from us and they want to continue having a relationship,” he says. “We are now planning on having quarterly meetings with the GTAA.”

He says the OLOA learned of some other projects the airport is planning, including adding Wi-Fi, picnic tables, benches, and a TV with access to traffic and weather in the chauffeur compound. This is where chauffeurs wait to be called when their clients have arrived at the airport because the GTAA does not allow them to wait curbside, according to Bozzelli.

The OLOA is now starting to prepare for its spring brunch meeting in April. Stay tuned for date and location announcements.

For more information, visit www.oloa.ca. LD11/12