To all potential limousine customers!!!

Recent illegal activity in the limousine industry could put customers in jeopardy. A DMV loophole allows limousine companies to register buses and coaches as livery vehicles with livery license plates. This allows buses to avoid New York State Department of Transportation safety inspections. This also allows operators to avoid paying bus insurance.

This type of activity is illegal and voids insurance. If the bus is in an accident the company will be prosecuted. But this is of little consequence to injured passengers with medical bills. Another problem is that with livery plates on a bus the driver does not have to meet strict New York State Drivers License guidelines for buses. That means no training, no testing, no consequences.

This year we have also seen limousines with dealer plates at proms. Dealer plates do not have insurance to cover your children or any other passengers at all.

No one should risk there children, families, friends or employees with any company that would take these types of short cuts at your expense.
Buses to beware of: Look at the license plates make sure they are bus plates. Livery (limo) plates are illegal on any size bus with any amount of passengers.
Look for a DOT # and call the DOT to see if the number even exists. If you’re going out of NYS a US DOT is a Must. NY DOT’s can not leave NYS.
Look at the age of the bus. Is the bus over 10 years old
Look at the mileage. Is there over 300,000 miles?
Ask to see a Commercial Drivers Licenses. Only CDL drivers are examined, drug tested, background checked and reviewed every year by NY State. Chauffeurs are not!!
Limos to beware of: Limos with out livery plates Limos with tires not designed to carry the weight of a limousine let alone one full of passengers. These are very unsafe and undependable. Drivers with out Commercial Drivers Licenses. Only CDL drivers are examined, drug tested, background checked and reviewed every year by NY State. Chauffeurs are not!!
What to ask: Ask to see the company’s original DBA or Corp papers with an official date seal for their start up date. This will prove they have been in business more than 10 years.
 Ask to see a list of the drivers and there driving records from the DMV Ask if your driver will come from this list; if yes request a copy of the list so no substitutions can be made with an unqualified driver.
Ask to see the vehicle you will be renting.
Ask to see the license plates.
Ask to see the year and mileage of the vehicle.
Ask what their plans are if a car breaks down. (Remember on Saturdays every car will be booked and none can come to your rescue.)
Ask them what their compensation policy is if something goes wrong. After you have narrowed down your list of prospective companies ask your friends, family and coworkers what they have heard about the companies you’re looking to use. A bad experience can happen with any company once, but poor companies give bad service often and there reputation follows them.