Taxi Times International - January 2015 - English

PEOPLE
DWIGHT KINES NEW
PRESIDENT FOR TLPA
The US Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA)
named Dwight Kines, vice president of the Mid-Atlantic region
at Transdev, which owns and operates Yellow and Checker
Cab Company of Baltimore, as the new president of the nearly
100-year-old trade association, with 1.000 members one of
the largest in the world.
Kines was sworn into office on October 29 during the
TLPA’s 97th Annual Convention & Trade Show held in Las
Vegas, Nevada. In a speech to members, Kines outlined his
agenda for his term. He plans to focus on those areas of his
industry that are critical to fighting Transportation Network
Companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, in jurisdictions
where they operate illegally. These areas include addressing
the industry’s image, recognizing business opportunities
to unify against the
compe tition, and continuing
to apply new technologies
for better customer
service.
“Yes, we are under
attack, but our industry
has weapons to fight back
and we need to give you
more,” Kines told a packed
room of 1,000 industry
leaders moments after
being sworn in as the
association’s president.
The senior BZP managers with the newest member Herwig
Kollar (2nd from left).
NEW MEMBER OF
THE BZP MANAGEMENT
BOARD
Lawyer Herwig Kollar has been elected to the extended management
board of the German taxi association BZP. Kollar works for
the taxi radio circuit in Frankfurt and for Taxi Germany, and has
represented their interests in various (successful) legal cases
against Uber and mytaxi. The Frankfurt-based lawyer takes over
the position left by Dirk Senkbeil, who was awarded the association’s
golden pin of honour before his departure.
New TLPA-president Dwight
Kines, speaking at ‘Taxi Stars’
in Athens.
NEW BOARD
MEMBERS
KNV TAXI
During its last board meeting Dutch taxi association KNV Taxi
chose Lucien Brouwers, director of Veolia Taxi as its vicechairman.
Before that KNV’s members had chosen Diana van
Hese (Transvision) and Wim Leewis (director Leewis Taxi en
Personenvervoer) as new board members.
Ex-finance
minister Norman
chairs Swedish
Taxi Association.
PETER NORMAN
CHAIRS SWEDISH TAXI
ASSOCIATION
New KNV Taxi-board members: Diana van Hese and Wim Leewis
Former Finance Minister Peter Norman was elected as the new
chairman of the Swedish Taxi Association. Its congress welcomed
him as successor to former chairman Bo Bylund.
“Norman served as Finance Minister in the Reinfeldt government
of 2010-2014 and has extensive expertise and experience
from government office and large organizations, giving the Swedish
Taxi Association good opportunities to interact with politicians and
decision-makers in government agencies and industry”, said committee
chairman Dimitrios Faniadis.
Peter Norman has an MBA and has also been president of the
Seventh AP Fund, Chairman of Carnegie Investment Bank and the
Director of the Riksbank.
wf
PHOTOS: Wim Faber / Michael Linke
PHOTO: Taxi Times
THE ART OF TAXI CONVERSION
The legal provisions on mandatory taxi equipment (alarm system,
taxi meter, roof sign, colour) differ from country to country and
are especially strict in Germany. It is too expensive for European
and Asian vehicle manufacturers to develop their own taxi
package. In order to serve the entire German taxi market, specific
taxi packages including installation are developed externally by
Intax in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, where not only taxis but also
driving school vehicles, police cars and fire trucks receive the
equipment they need. This approach has been such a success
that Intax needed another production hall. At the inauguration,
company president Jörg Hatscher transformed that hall into a
party location in street art style.
4 JANUARY / 2016 TAXI