Image: RNJ News

The New Jersey General Assembly on Monday approved legislation that would increase penalties for illegal limousine operators accused of bypassing licensing, insurance and safety requirements.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Michael Inganamort, targets unlicensed chauffeur services operating through online bookings and transporting passengers at airports, sports complexes and entertainment venues across the state.

Under the legislation, penalties would increase for third and subsequent violations involving operating a limousine without a municipal license, allowing an unlicensed driver to operate a limo, carrying insufficient insurance, exceeding seating capacity, or failing to obtain proper registration plates and inspections.

According to the Chauffeured Transportation Association of New Jersey, investigators have documented multiple cases of unlicensed operators advertising transportation services online and transporting passengers without proper commercial insurance coverage.

Enhanced penalties for illegal and unlicensed drivers in New York and New Jersey follows recommendations in a recent report authored by Matt Daus, IATR President, through the University Transportation Research Center at the City College of New York (UTRC), titled Addressing Unlicensed and Illegal Ride Hailing in the NY/NJ Metro Region.

The report, which was done in collaboration with the Chauffeured Transportation Association of New Jersey (CTANJ) and the Black Car Assistance Corporation (BCAC), highlights how unlicensed for-hire vehicles and off-platform rideshare drivers exploit enforcement gaps and operate without insurance, background checks, or vehicle inspections. Low penalties allow illegal operators to absorb summonses as a routine cost of doing business, rather than act as a meaningful deterrent.

Recommended measures include targeted patrols at high-risk locations, such as airport, and tougher penalties for repeat offenders. The report also recommends greater use of technology to detect illegal activity and stronger coordination among airport authorities, regulators, and law enforcement.

Read the Full Report Here

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Biagio Ciuffo, Deputy Head of the Sustainable, Smart and Safe Mobility Unit of the European Commission Joint Research Centre

IATR is pleased to announce the next new member of the IATR advisory board is Biagio Ciuffo and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (“JRC”).

Biagio said, “Technologies are reshaping the business of going around but if we want to be sure that their eventual impact will be positive for society, transport policies will be at least as important.”

Matt Daus, IATR President, said, "I am honored to welcome Biagio Ciuffo and the European Commission Joint Research Centre to the IATR Advisory Board. Biagio has been at the forefront of global research and policy development surrounding connected, automated, and sustainable mobility, helping bridge the gap between emerging transportation technologies and evidence-based public policy. The Joint Research Centre plays a vital role in ensuring that innovation is guided by rigorous science, international collaboration, and a strong commitment to public interest outcomes. As transportation systems continue to evolve rapidly across the globe, the insights and expertise that Biagio and the JRC bring to IATR will be invaluable in helping regulators navigate the future of smart, safe, and sustainable mobility.”

Biagio is the Deputy Head of the Sustainable, Smart and Safe Mobility Unit of the European Commission Joint Research Centre. He is a transportation engineering expert with more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and has a strong record of leading science-for-policy projects. He initiated pioneering research on Connected and Automated Mobility and established the JRC Living Labs for Future Mobility Solutions. An award-winning researcher, he has received multiple honors from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences’ Transportation Research Board and has contributed significantly to European and international regulations on sustainable and smart mobility.

The JRC serves as the European Commission’s science and knowledge hub, providing independent, evidence-based research to support EU policymaking across a broad range of areas. The JRC offers independent scientific advice and expertise to EU policymakers, ensuring that science remains central to European policy decisions. Originally established under the Euratom Treaty with a strong focus on nuclear research, it now works across many disciplines and supports nearly all major EU policy fields, including mobility, climate, energy, health, and AI. Its core strengths are anticipation, integration, and impact: preparing for future policy needs, linking scientific and policy domains, and assessing the results of policy action.

The JRC operates more than 50 laboratories and testing facilities across six sites in five EU countries. It also makes over 60 scientific tools and databases available to universities, research organizations, and small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, it provides training and doctoral opportunities that support early-career researchers and promote more inclusive, forward-looking policymaking.

Why Transportation Directors Are Choosing Propane over Promises

While some districts are still waiting for the promise of electric buses to catch up to reality, others are already reaping the benefits of cleaner, more cost-effective school transportation right now. Across the country, more than 1,000 school districts are turning to propane autogas buses and seeing the benefits firsthand: healthier rides for students, happier drivers behind the wheel, and real cost savings that make a difference in the classroom.

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OHP Training for Autonomous Commercial Vehicles Coming to Oklahoma

Troopers with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol say they are training for when autonomous commercial vehicles hit Oklahoma roadways. In 2019, Oklahoma lawmakers established the framework to allow autonomous vehicles on Oklahoma roads. Now, OHP says autonomous commercial vehicles could soon become a reality in the Sooner State. In fact, they say autonomous commercial vehicles could begin operating as early as this June along pre-mapped corridors.

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Fahy Introduces Bill to Bring Waymo Cars to Capital Region

The robotaxi company will expand its service area in Houston to East Downtown, the Texas A bill recently introduced by state Sen. Patricia Fahy would bring self-driving cars such as Waymo taxis to Albany and Rensselaer counties, the latest attempt to expand the use of autonomous vehicles in New York. Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet, offers its autonomous taxi service cars in numerous cities across the country, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta. But they've encountered several roadblocks entering the New York market, including stiff opposition from labor unions, unfavorable public opinion polls and legislative skepticism.

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Toronto Councillor Wants City to Study Sound Cameras

A motion set to go before Toronto City Council Wednesday is calling for the city to crack down on noisy vehicles that tear down city streets by exploring sound camera technology. “This is not just your regular city noise,” Coun. Lily Cheng told CP24.com in an interview.

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Montreal’s Largest Driverless Metro Expanding

The city of Montreal is experiencing a seismic shift in its public transportation infrastructure through the latest expansion of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM). This ambitious project not only enhances connectivity across the metropolitan area but also solidifies Montreal’s reputation as a leader in sustainable, high-tech urban mobility. As the new extension becomes operational, it promises profound impacts on daily commutes, regional integration, and environmental sustainability.

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National Road Safety Week: Everyday Decisions Carry Serious Consequences

It’s the drive home at the end of a long day - familiar roads, steady traffic, nothing out of the ordinary. You’re a little tired, your focus drifts, you rely more on habit than vigilance to carry you the rest of the way. Most of the time, it does. But those are the moments when attention slips and risk quietly builds. The Canada Safety Council is reminding Canadians that many of the most serious risks on the road are tied to routine decisions made behind the wheel.

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Tesla Launches FSD in Second European Country

Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” (Supervised) driver assistance software is now rolling out in Lithuania, making it the second European country to allow the system on public roads. The Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration confirmed it has recognized the Dutch RDW certification that first approved FSD in Europe last month.

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E-Taxis As a Model: Hamburg Shows the Way to an Emission-Free Fleet

Hamburg is pushing ahead with the conversion of its taxi fleet to locally emission-free propulsion systems. According to the organizers, since January 2025, new taxi licenses have been issued exclusively for vehicles with locally emission-free propulsion systems. Already, 750 electric taxis are in operation in the Hanseatic city. The long-term goal is to convert a fleet of around 3,000 vehicles. These measures are part of Hamburg Sustainability Week, which invites citizens and civil society actors to work on solutions to key sustainability issues. The aim of the event series is to accelerate local transformation and contribute to the global sustainability goals.

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How a Taxi Licensing Loophole Turned into a Westminster Transport War

For more than a decade, few issues have divided the taxi and private hire industry quite like out-of-area licensing. What began as a technical regulatory matter has developed into a national political debate involving ministers, mayors, councils, unions, regulators, safeguarding campaigners and multinational ride-hailing firms. 

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Wrightbus Secures Hong Kong Order of 20 Electric Double-Decker Buses

Hong Kong operator Citybus has ordered 20 Wrightbus 6×2 StreetDeck Electroliner battery-electric double-deck buses. The agreement marks the first order worldwide for the new triple-axle StreetDeck Electroliner platform, according to a press note by Wrightbus. The vehicles are scheduled for delivery in 2027.

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Tesla Officially Abandons India Factory after Years of Broken Promises

Tesla has officially confirmed it will not build a manufacturing facility in India, ending nearly a decade of negotiations, false starts, and broken promises with the Indian government. India’s Minister of Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy confirmed the decision on May 19, putting a definitive end to one of the longest-running will-they-won’t-they sagas in the global EV industry.

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Starless: Zero Stars for Outgoing Version of Toyota Starlet

The outgoing version of the Toyota Starlet has received a zero star rating for adult occupant protection in Global NCAP’s #SaferCarsforAfrica test results. Child occupant protection was rated as three stars. Manufactured in India, and one of the most popular cars sold in South Africa, the Starlet was equipped with driver and passenger frontal airbags and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as standard. The model offered no side head protection airbags.

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Image: Bell-Dancy Industries

Miami International (KMIA), Miami Executive (KTMB), and other local airports plan to begin operational trials of drones and eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) air taxis.

The Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) will install a new air traffic management system across ramp facilities at Miami Executive, creating a “live testing ground” that will study air taxis under “real conditions,” it said in a news release Tuesday.

The pilot program will also cover Miami International and “surrounding Miami-Dade County airports.” In addition to KMIA and KTMB, MDAD operates Opa-Locka Executive (KOPF), Dade-Collier Training and Transition (KTNT), and Miami Homestead General Aviation (X51) airports.

The pilot, called “SafeLand,” will be facilitated by Bell-Dancy Industries (BDI), a Los Angeles-based provider of autonomous infrastructure for advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft.

The company’s flagship platform, ALTA (Autonomous Landing and Take-off Assistant), uses that infrastructure to create “protected airspaces” specifically for AAM operations at airports, vertiports, distribution centers, offshore locations, and other sites. It is designed for commercial, medical, and military applications.

MDAD’s news release describes SafeLand as a “structured pilot program that will stand up the physical and digital infrastructure necessary to better support air taxi operations in an urban aviation environment.” The partners will begin operations with uncrewed drones to “stress-test” the system before moving to full-scale air taxi operations under FAA oversight.

Source: Flying Magazine

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