The Taxi Limousine and Paratransit Association has an annual convention and trade show. This year it was in Los Angeles at the JW Marriot downtown. It's always at a cool venue and always features the coolest new technologies, most hip vehicles, and lots of eclectic and sharp minds. They say it's only the top 10% of cab companies that have the budget (or they choose..) to send their people to the show. It's a place to meet the big players in the industry and get a sense of where the industry is going.
Where is the industry going? I am happy to report that this year there was a great emphasis on environmentally-friendly vehicle replacement and improved dispatching and payment technology. Large and small companies are taking it upon themselves to bring hybrid vehicles into their fleet, citing the gas savings that more than pay for the entire vehicle price (I learned that the "hybrid mandate" introduced by Mayor Bloomberg has actually been struck down in a lawsuit, but the cab owners themselves are going ahead with hybrid vehicles anyway). Companies are receiving DOE grants that pay for natural gas and propane fuel conversations. Electric car cabs are actually moving into the picture. Really exciting stuff. It seems like regulations and incentives for conversion or hybrid-updates are still sparse... bummer!
Read about the TLPA here: http://www.tlpa.org/ TPLA is a non-profit trade association for the private passenger transportation industry.
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