American limo rental website EzLimoRentals.com bought out by mystery UK buyer

February 7, 2012 By Dez Rowley
ezlimorentals.com2

A top ranking American limo rental website, EzLimoRentals.com (pronounced Easy Limo Rentals) has been bought out by an anonymous UK based buyer according to a recent online report. It’s understood the new owner of EzLimoRentals.com operates a leading limousine hire business in the UK and is planning to expand the company into America.

To mark the takeover of EzLimoRentals.com the new owners are offering all American limousine rental agents the chance to benefit from a free listing on the high ranking website. Companies that already have a listing on the limousine rental site will be able to keep their ad, while those who would like to experiment to see if a listing on EzLimoRentals.com would help boost their online profile, will have the chance to try out the service free of charge.

The new owners of EzLimoRentals.com see the acquisition of the new website as their first step into the American market, something the British company has been keen to pursue for some time according to recent reports. The mystery Managing Director of the UK based company was quoted as saying, “Targeting the American market is something we’ve been planning for some time, however we had to wait for the right opportunity to come our way.”

The anonymous new owner went on to say, “EzLimorentals.com is the perfect way in for our company as our strength lies in our online marketing – taking ownership of a recognisable site such as EzLimorentals.com will provide us with a substantial leg-up into the US market while at the same time providing us with great potential to develop our brand”.

Now the buy-out of the leading American limo rental website is complete, the new owners say they are planning to get straight to work revamping the site. The mystery owner is understood to have successfully developed a range of online products as part of the limo hire business in the UK with a proven track record in strong online marketing.

The company is now planning to take their winning model over to the US with the same web team poised to re-develop the EzLimoRentals.com website to improve the website’s SEO, and boost its overall ranking with the aim of becoming one of the most influential limo rental providers in the States.

Content By Dez Rowley

Filed Under: All News, Car Hire News, Chauffeur News, Limo News, Transport News, Uncategorized, Wedding News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NLCA Meeting AGM Agenda Announced

February 2, 2012 By Carl Wheeler
NLCA logo
The time has arrived again for the Annual General Meeting of the National Limousine Association (NLCA), most of the serious players in the industry will be at the event where the future and direction of the trade will be decide or yet another year. After 15 years of life the group goes on from strength to strength with acceptance of the NLCA by customers and government alike. The next year will see major changes to the way people operate limousines and it is vital that our voice is heard to ensure that new legislation is not imposed without the voice of the trade being heard.

Date: 8TH FEBRUARY 2012
Location: THE HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS PARKWAY, BIRMINGHAM, B40 1QA
Time: STARTS AT 7.30PM
  • PW      Welcome to the 15th AGM of the NLCA
  • PW      Minutes of the previous years AGM
    • Read: Adopted
    • Proposed and seconded
  • PW      Chairman’s report on 2011
  • MP      Treasurers report and accounts
  • MP      Membership secretaries report
  • WEB   Legislation officers report
  • PW      List of positions and nominees
  • PW      Election of officers of the NLCA
== BREAK ==
  • Matters arising from the minutes
  • VAT
  • Insurances
  • Any other business
  • Date, time and place of next meeting
  • Close of meeting
List of potential posts for the AGM of the NLCA 2012 and brief description:
POSITION / NOMINEE
Chairman / Peter Wright
To chair and direct the meeting of the NLCA, to preside over the Annual General Meeting, to arrange the agenda for meetings in advance, and to represent the NLCA professionally as required.
Vice Chairman:                                                                          Jag Mann
To stand in for the Chairman when he or she is not available, to cover where there may be a need for two separate meetings to be held. To cover any or all of the Chairman’s roles as may be required.
Membership:                                                                             Fulvia Pietrantonio
To keep records of the membership of the NLCA, to issue invoices and reminders and ensure the receipt of membership funds as and when they are due. To advise the web master of any changes to membership status and ensure that details held on members are correct.
Treasurer:                                                                                  Fulvia Pietrantonio
To keep a track on membership receipts, account for all income and expenditure in a professional and logical manner, to present the accounts in draft form for the auditors to scrutinise. To pay all bills as and when they arise. To keep the membership and committee informed as to the financial state of the group at each meeting. To ensure that the audited accounts are lodged at companies house (via the auditors / accountants) each year.
Secretary and Minutes secretary:                                                Marco Pietrantonio
To handle any direct correspondence for the NLCA, to direct enquiries or queries to the appropriate officer, to issue any holding or covering letters to trade or public as required until the appropriate officer can respond. To take minutes at each monthly meeting, and to issue them on the NLCA web site.
Forum moderator:
To keep a watchful eye on the NLCA and limochat forums for situations of abuse, rudeness or disrespect. To refer back to the ethics committee, if appropriate, for guidance as to sanctions or removal from the forum. This has become of extreme importance in view of the total lack of respect for other members, and the unacceptable comments by non members. Possibly to view messages before they are posted.
Web Master                                                                              Eddie Dillon
To maintain the NLCA website and carry out updates and changes to the site and booking agency, to advice members and committee or any changes or upgrades that may be needed, to host the NLCA web site. To ensure that the NLCA web site is kept in good and current order.
Events co-ordinator:
To promote the NLCA by working with any chosen charities, suggesting and organising events (both charity and NLCA) and canvassing support from members and public alike. Organise any social events for the NLCA.
News & Newsletter:
To compile and distribute (by e mail) a monthly news letter for the NLCA, with articles submitted by members and committee alike. To send any notifications to members about coming events, monthly meetings, urgent changes to laws and statutes etc as needed (by email)
Press & publicity:
(Possibly the same person as the News & newsletter) Dealing diligently with press, issuing any press statements after checking with the relevant officer or member most suited or involved. To seek out opportunities to gain press space for the NLCA on a regular basis, to promote the services of the NLCA, and to raise the awareness and profile of the NLCA wherever possible.
Legislation officer:                                                          Bill Bowling
To stay abreast of current and proposed legislation, guide and assist members with licensing problems at both Local authority level and with the Traffic Commissioners. To lobby government for specific and appropriate legislation for limousines, novelty vehicles and chauffeur driven vehicles alike.
To test and challenge any changes to law as required, to provide advice for members with prosecutions from local authorities, VOSA and traffic commissioners, to represent (whenever possible and practical) members at public inquiries and court cases(where permitted)To advise on impending changes, and assist in ensuring that members vehicles are fully compliant with current legislation.
Assistant Legislation officer                                            Graham Bentham: Jason Earl: Matt Davies
To assist and provide cover for the legislation office as and when needed, guide members when requested. To help with any backlog of changes to the law as may arise by giving guidance to members on an ad hoc basis. To cover any or all of the duties of the legislation officer as may be required. To prepare for the eventual transition to cover the role of legislation officer in the future.
Ethics Committee:
Chairman:                                                                     John Flint
+ 4 elected or co-opted members
To investigate and deal with any complaints from the public and customers as to the conduct and ethics of a member, to draw up a code of conduct for members of the NLCA to abide by. To caution or apply sanctions to any member found guilty of transgressions.
Liaison officers:
To promote the cause of the NLCA, to talk and liaise with other operators in your area, to actively canvass new members for the group, to report any matters that may need attention from other officers of the NLCA, to refer new or potential members to the appropriate person for help and assistance.
To report any causes for concern that the group may not be aware of for action. To act as the local face, and representative for the NLCA.
  • Scotland: David Morley
  • Midlands: Marco Pietrantonio
  • Southern:
  • North East:
  • North West: Danny Cawley

News Source: NLCA

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Sick 5-year-old taken to hospital in the Prime Minister’s personal limo

December 16, 2011 By Carl Wheeler
david-cameron-limo

5-year-old Savannah Nicholls was had been invited to number 10 Downing Street to meet the Prime Minister, David Cameron, when the sick youngster took a turn for the worse during the visit and had to be rushed to hospital in the PM’s personal limo.

Savannah was accompanied by her mother Lisa during the visit which saw a number of poorly children meet David Cameron at number 10 as part of a special party organised by the children’s charity Together for Short Lives. As well as meeting the Prime Minister briefly before she was taken ill, Savannah also got to meet Mr Tumble from the CBeebies show, Something Special.

The 5-year-old from Penzance in Cornwall has been suffering from Leukaemia, Cerebral Palsy and epilepsy since birth, however the youngster was overcoming a chest infection at the time of her visit to number 10 which flared up during the party.

Savannah’s mother, Lisa, was full of praise for Cameron’s aides who quickly ushered the young girl and her family into a side room, which turned out to be the famous Cabinet Room, while they arranged for the PM’s chauffeured limo to collect the 5-year-old and take her to hospital.

After her hospital dash in Cameron’s personal limo, Savannah is now back in Cornwall recovering in hospital, although her family hope she’ll be allowed home in the coming days.

Filed Under: All News, Celebrity Watch, Chauffeur News, Limo News, Transport News, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Limo Broker finalists for the Transport Broker Awards 2011/12 finally revealed

December 5, 2011 By Dez Rowley
transport-broker-awards-logo-2012

The Limo Broker finalists for this year’s Transport Broker Awards have finally been revealed ahead of the glitzy awards ceremony due to take place on January 7th at the Celtic Manor Resort and Spa in South Wales.

The awards are split into two categories namely the regional awards and the national awards. The Limo Broker finalists in the running for the regional awards are as follow –

Agent of the Year – Scotland

Clyde Valley, The Pink Limo Co, Choice Limos

Agent of the Year – North East

Millennium, Elite Limos N/E, Dumfries Limos

Agent of the Year – North West

Oasis Limousines, CLH, Posh Limos

Agent of the Year – Midlands

Maans Limos, SV Limos, Lux Limos

Agent of the Year – South West and London

High Profile, Christies, Glamour Limos

Agent of the Year – South East and London

Wild Stretch, Essex Limos, Absolute Style

Agent of the Year – Wales and West Country

Just For You, The Limo People, All Stretched Out

Agent of the Year – Ireland

Acorn Cars and 3D Limos

In addition to the fiercely contested regional awards for the limo hire agents of the year for operators working under the Limo Broker brand, a further seven national awards for Best Fleet, Best Customer Services, Best Wedding Car Company, Best Limousine, Best Wedding Car, Best Coach and Agent of the Year which will see all companies working across Limo Broker and Cars for Stars battle it out for these coveted titles. The finalists and eventual winners for the national awards will be announced on the night.

For more information on this year’s Transport Broker Awards and to see a full rundown of all of the finalists including those nominated in the Coach Broker and Cars for Stars categories, please see the main awards website.

Filed Under: All News, Chauffeur News, Limo News, Transport News, UK Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Drunk man wakes up in limo and drives it home

August 24, 2011 By Carl Wheeler
SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA

A reveller in Nebraska who had been travelling on a 40ft limo bus as part of a group of friends is now facing criminal charges as its alleged he woke up in the limo and proceeded to drive the vehicle to his home last weekend.

30-year-old Steven Hunter was caught after his wallet was found onboard the limo after the giant party bus was found parked up a few streets from his home in the Mid West of America.

Police believe the man had passed out in the toilet area of the 40ft long limousine after having a few too many. At 3:30am the chauffeur parked the limo back at the limo hire company’s depot, leaving the keys inside the vehicle.

When the limo company boss arrived at the depot the following morning and found the $80,000 limo bus missing, he raised the alarm with the police.

It is thought that the party goer woke up inside the limo and discovered the keys, at which point he proceeded to drive the limo to his home. However when questioned by police, Steven Hunter denies this, saying he has no recollection of the incidents which lead to the limo being found abandoned in a street near to his house.

The man has since been charged with criminal mischief and unauthorised use of a vehicle.

Filed Under: All News, Chauffeur News, Limo News, Transport News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Limo chauffeur hands in envelope stuffed with cash

August 15, 2011 By Carl Wheeler
limo-chauffeur

A limousine chauffeur in Australia has been praised for his honesty after he handed in an unmarked envelope stuffed with cash totalling $14,000.

The 60-year-old chauffeur was filling up his limousine at a petrol station in Melbourne when he happened to see a lone $50 note on the floor. The chauffeur then noticed a plain envelop lying on the side of a nearby walkway. When he opened it up, he found it to be stuffed full with $50 notes.

The veteran chauffeur says he often finds lost items in the back of his limo such as sun glasses or $10 notes, but he’s never come across $14,000 in the back of the car before. While some people may have thought twice about what to do with the cash, chauffeur Mr Buccella didn’t hesitate in handing the money in.

Four men were later seen combing the area searching for the money, and then later called the police to report the cash missing. After checking out the men’s story, the group had travelled to the city with $14,000 in cash to buy a car, the money was handed back to its rightful owner.

The chauffeur described how the man who the money had belonged to just hugged him, before slipping $100 into the chauffeur’s pocket after he refused a reward. However the young man then had to ask for the money back, after he realised he then didn’t have enough cash to pay for the car he’d come to buy!

Filed Under: All News, Chauffeur News, Limo News, Transport News Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Limousine used to chauffeur the Pope and astronauts to be sold at auction

August 8, 2011 By Dez Rowley
pope-limo

A specially adapted 1964 limousine used to transport the Pope Paul VI and astronauts Buzz Aldridge and Neil Armstrong is due to be sold at auction later this month in California.

The Lincoln Continental Limousine was built at the request of the Vatican ahead of the Pope’s planned visit to New York in 1965 where he was due to address the United Nations. The limo was custom made to accommodate the needs of the Pope and his bodyguards with the rear roof section being removed and replaced with glass so as to allow the crowds to see the Pope as he passed through the streets of New York.

Other extra features added to the limo to facilitate the Pope’s visit include exterior step plates, a handrail for the security staff guarding the Pope, a PA system, and also a raised seat area so as to offer the Pope an elevated seating area for the public to see him more clearly.

The limousine was then sent to the city of Chicago where it was used to transport the famous American astronauts, Buzz Aldridge and Neil Armstrong, during a ticker tape parade following their successful space mission to the moon.

In recent times the stretch limo has been in private ownership. The limo is due to go under the hammer in California on August 19th and is expected to fetch somewhere in the region $350,000 which works out as £215,000. Interested parties are likely to be museums and also private collectors.

Filed Under: All News, Chauffeur News, Limo News, Transport News, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

App makes light work of limo hire in the US

July 27, 2011 By Carl Wheeler
iphone

A number of leading limousine hire companies in the US have introduced mobile apps, making it easier than ever for clients to request a chauffeur driven limo at a moment’s notice.

LimoRes, Limos.com and Uber all offer mobile apps which allow customers to request a chauffeur driven limo immediately. While LimoRes and Limos.com offer chauffeur driven private hire services through much of the US, the latter only offers limo hire services in the city of New York and also San Francisco/ Palo Alto.

In most cases it is possible to book a limo hire service in advance using the app, however the mobile application is most handy when clients wish to order a limo at short notice.

The apps, which are free in some cases for customers to download onto their iPhones and android devices, allows clients to share with the company their exact location and also view the locations of chauffeur driven limos in the vicinity using GPS signals. Customers can input their desired collection and drop off locations using the interactive map, and also estimate their chosen limo driver’s time of arrival by pin pointing their exact location via the app.

A second screen can also be accessed which guides users through the car options available, and also advises them on the hourly or daily rates for the hire of the limo and driver. Selected apps offer set rate services, for example, the cost of airport transfers and transport between railway stations and specific hotels.

Although the majority of limo hire bookings are still taken by phone, with new apps being launched and existing applications being updated daily, hiring limos via mobile apps is likely to become a key booking facility over the coming years.

Filed Under: All News, Car Hire News, Chauffeur News, Limo News, Transport News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The crowds turn out to celebrate the Route 66 Festival

June 7, 2011 By Dez Rowley
Pink-Cadillac-Route-66

This weekend saw the Route 66 Festival take place at Old Chain in Rocks Bridge and the crowds turned out in their droves to celebrate the history of this iconic American highway.

Although it’s neither the oldest nor the longest road in the US, Route 66 is certainly the most famous. If you’re planning a road trip across America, the 2,400 mile road stretching from Los Angeles to Chicago is the route guidebooks and websites will urge you to take.

The Route 66 Festival has been established to celebrate the road known as the Main Street of America and this weekend the event boasted live music performances, bike rides and classic car exhibitions including American limousines and Cadillac limos.

The festival also sought to raise money for victims of the recent Joplin Tornado, donations were taken on the day from those visiting the event, with all funds being donated to the cause.

So if you’re planning your summer getaway and fancy a change from lounging on a beach for a fortnight, why not hire a Cadillac limo or rent a convertible sports car and travel Route 66 for the ultimate road trip experience.

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