IATR 39th Annual Conference Early Bird Pricing Until Aug 15!

AV City: Autonomous Mobility

Las Vegas, Nevada | September 14–17, 2026

Vdara Hotel at ARIA | 2600 W Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, NV

Early-bird pricing extended until August 15

Hotel room block available through August 14 – availability limited

Sponsorship opportunities available until August 14

Image: Alejandro A. Alvarez

Last month, Boston became the latest city where drivers of licensed taxicabs can respond to rideshare trip requests, using apps that are integrated with the Uber and Lyft platforms. But don’t expect to see this change in Philadelphia, even as the city’s taxi business continues its free fall.

Curb, the leading app company for cabs, and Uber petitioned the Philadelphia Parking Authority, which regulates taxis in the city, to allow coordination of rides on a pilot basis but eventually withdrew the proposal.

Pennsylvania law strictly separates licensed cabs and transportation network companies like Uber, said Christine Kirlin, deputy general counsel for the PPA and former head of its Taxi and Limo Division.

“It was a handful of regulations that just couldn’t be integrated,” Kirlin said, adding that state law would need changes for it to work.

For instance, she said, taxi fares in the city are set by the PPA and cab operators are not allowed to flex prices, as rideshare companies do during periods of high demand. Drivers also need a commercial license, and taxi vehicles are subject to safety inspections — and regulatory fees — that rideshare is not.

In other cities, referrals from rideshare companies account for 30% to 60% of total taxi trips, said Dorel Tamam, vice president for mobile business at Curb.

He is in charge of Curb Flow, an open API platform that aggregates available rides from multiple sources, including Uber and Lyft, direct hails from taxi apps, fleet dispatches, and taxi ranks.

“This program is helping actually reduce idle time, increase the overall trips, giving drivers the add-on opportunity to earn more,” Tamam said.

Curb Flow is being used in 17 U.S. cities, including Newark, N.J.; Seattle; Los Angeles; New York; Reno, Nev.; and Charlotte, N.C.

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Click Here to Read More

Ian Grossman, President of AAMVA

IATR is pleased to welcome Ian Grossman and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) as its newest advisory board member.

Ian Grossman, President of AAMVA said upon accepting his selection to the IATR board, “I am excited to strengthen the partnership between AAMVA and IATR to collaborate on emerging transportation issues. The collective work of motor vehicle administrators with members of the IATR will enable safe and reliable transportation for our shared community.”

Matt Daus, President of IATR, said, “I am delighted that Ian Grossman and AAMVA have accepted our invitation to join the IATR advisory board. We look forward to their guidance on best practices for emerging mobility, including autonomous vehicles and food delivery robots. AAMVA has long been at the forefront of saving lives on our roads by promoting safer drivers and vehicles, and we are pleased to support those efforts together.”

Ian Grossman is President and CEO of AAMVA, where he leads the international nonprofit association representing motor vehicle and law enforcement agencies across the United States and Canada. In his role, Grossman oversees AAMVA’s strategic initiatives, technology services, policy development, and collaborative programs focused on driver licensing, vehicle administration, identity management, roadway safety, and emerging transportation technologies.

Grossman brings extensive experience in public policy, communications, and association leadership spanning both the public and private sectors. Prior to becoming President and CEO, he served as AAMVA’s Vice President of Member Services and Public Affairs, where he directed programs involving driver licensing, law enforcement, strategic planning, government affairs, membership operations, and international collaboration.

Before joining AAMVA in 2009, Grossman served in senior leadership positions within the U.S. Department of Transportation, including Associate Administrator for Public Affairs at the Federal Highway Administration and roles with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Earlier in his career, he worked in government, political campaigns, and private consulting, including serving as campaign manager for Vermont Governor Jim Douglas’s successful reelection campaign.

Widely recognized as a thought leader in motor vehicle administration, digital identity, transportation safety, and mobility innovation, Grossman frequently speaks at national and international conferences on topics including mobile driver licenses, fraud prevention, biometrics, and the modernization of government services. Under his leadership, AAMVA continues to advance best practices and technology solutions that strengthen transportation safety, security, and customer service across North America.

IATR’s advisory board continues to expand, with new members from the Open Mobility Foundation, ITS America, IRF Global, the European Commission Joint Research Centre, ERITCO, and PIARC joining over the last few months. Current board members also include Together for Safer Roads, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC), and the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC). In the coming weeks, IATR will announce additional board members as it broadens its work in support of safe sustainable multimodal mobility leading up to our annual conference.

Forget Rideshare. How Seniors Are Using Teslas for Transportation

Consumers — most notably, senior citizens — are buying Teslas to self-drive them in cities across the United States. Determined to maintain their individual transportation independence, they use Tesla’s hands-free Full Self Driving system as a driver assist as their confidence in reflexes and eyesight deteriorate. “It's as good a driver as I am,” said Dick Amacher, 78, a retired General Motors engineer from Rochester Hills. According to FSD data, he drives his Model Y and Model 3 on FSD 98% of the time. “Here's the thing: It will not go through a red light. It will not go through a stop sign. Every once in a while, I've driven through neighborhoods where stop signs were partially obscured by low-hanging branches, for example … and (the Tesla) sees them before I do.”

Click Here to Read More

New Jersey Court Says Lyft Policies Must Cover Uninsured Pedestrians

A New Jersey appeals court says Lyft's insurer must cover an uninsured pedestrian's medical bills - coverage the policy left out.  In a decision handed down on July 24, 2026, the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, called it a question no state court had answered before: must a ride-share company's liability policy pay personal injury protection (PIP) benefits - no-fault coverage for medical costs - to an uninsured pedestrian hit by one of its drivers? The court said yes. 

Click Here to Read More

GAO Report Looks into Rideshare Safety Protections

Americans rely on rideshare and taxi services for basic mobility, yet a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals significant gaps in how the industry addresses a persistent threat: assaults against drivers and passengers. The report, published July 24, examined assault data, safety features, and background check requirements across rideshare companies and local jurisdictions. While some states and cities have adopted rigorous screening standards for drivers, others have not. Rideshare companies offer various safety tools, from identity verification to the ability to request female drivers, but without comprehensive data on assault incidents, neither regulators nor riders can assess whether these measures are working.

Click Here to Read More

Uber Approved to Launch in Timmins; Now Signing Up Local Drivers across Northeastern Ontario

Uber has officially received approval under a provincial pilot to launch rideshare in the communities between Gravenhurst and Cochrane, including Muskoka, North Bay, and Timmins, as well as the Greater Sudbury area. For many of these communities, this will be the first time rideshare is available, providing safe and convenient transportation options for both residents and visitors alike while creating flexible earning opportunities for locals.

Click Here to Read More

Gordie Howe International Bridge Sees 7,500 Vehicles in First 12 Hours

The Gordie Howe International Bridge got off to a strong start on opening day, with thousands of drivers making the trip between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., within hours of the bridge opening. Speaking on AM800’s Mornings with Mike and Meg, Heather Grondin, chief relations Officer for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, said approximately 7,500 vehicles crossed the bridge during its first 12 hours of operation.

Click Here to Read More

What Are Tailpipe Emission Standards, and Why Does Canada Need Stronger Ones?

Last year the government announced that it was scrapping the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard (EVAS). To replace the Standard (which would have made electric cars more available and accessible) the government announced a new “automotive strategy” and promised to implement new tailpipe emission standards. These new standards are supposed to drive EV adoption and see that 75 per cent of cars sold in 2035 would be EVs, a much lower goal than the 100 per cent target committed to by Prime Minister Trudeau.

Click Here to Read More

Wrightbus-Refurbished Routemasters to Return to London Streets

A fleet of Routemaster buses is set to return to London’s streets following a mid-life refurbishment programme carried out by Wrightbus’s repair and refurbishment division.

The recent delivery of LT706 marks the ninth of 40 Routemasters to emerge from a full refit at RGI Bus & Coach Refurbishment Limited, which was acquired by Wrightbus two years ago, before returning to service from Transport UK London’s Walworth Garage.

Click Here to Read More

UK Trade Body Presses Burnham Government for Hydrogen Transport Role

The UK Hydrogen Energy Association has urged the new government to recognise hydrogen vehicles alongside battery electric, backed by coordinated support for vehicles and refuelling infrastructure. In a new report making the case for hydrogen across land transport, the trade body pressed for a long-overdue update to the UK’s hydrogen strategy, promised by the former Starmer government in 2025.

Click Here to Read More

Europe’s Freight Transport Networks under Strain from Drought, Extreme Heat

Recurring periods of extreme heat – with temperatures in excess of 107℉ in a number of places - and near-zero rainfall have intensified the pressures on some of Western Europe’s freight transport corridors, the prime example being the Rhine, the continent’s single-most important inland waterway for trade. Wildfires, particularly in France and Spain, have also created headaches in shipping goods from A to B and beyond.

Click Here to Read More

South Africa Moves Closer to 10-Year Driver’s Licence Validity Period

South African motorists are one step closer to renewing their driver’s licence cards every 10 years instead of every five, following Cabinet’s approval of proposed changes to the country’s licensing regulations. The announcement was made by Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni after a recent Cabinet meeting, marking a significant policy shift from earlier Department of Transport proposals that suggested extending the validity period to eight years.

Click Here to Read More

Young People Turn to Taxi Driving in Japan’s Major Cities

While the aging of taxi drivers has long been a concern, now there are signs that the workforce is getting younger, mainly in major cities. Over the past year, the average age of tax drivers has dropped by more than three years, or by about five years in Osaka Prefecture and four years in Tokyo. Labor shortages following a post-pandemic recovery in demand have led to improved working conditions for drivers, attracting young people to the profession. The spread of taxi-hailing apps has also made it easier for young people with little experience to earn a living.

Click Here to Read More

Ho Chi Minh City Public Sector Urged to Lead EV Adoption

Hoang Nguyen Dinh, vice-chairman of the city’s administration, emphasized this requirement in conclusions on proposals related to emission control and green transport development. The municipal Department of Construction is tasked with refining proposals, studying international experiences, and accelerating the roadmap for adopting electric and green-energy vehicles.

Click Here to Read More

Shaun Abreu, City Council Majority Leader and Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

They’re conning congestion pricing!

An unlicensed rideshare company may be ditching tens of millions of dollars worth of Manhattan congestion tolls — and it’s time for the MTA to do something about it, a top city official said.

City Council Democratic Majority Leader Shaun Abreu is calling on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to investigate discount rideshare company Empower, which has been skirting the toll to enter Midtown Manhattan that competitors like Uber and Lyft have to pay and bake into the cost of a trip.

Taxis and livery vehicles have to pay for each trip into the congestion zone, while regular vehicles only pay once — and Empower has allegedly been ditching tolls because it’s operating without a city license.

“Yellow taxis and licensed for‑hire vehicle companies collect these charges from their passengers,” Abreu wrote in a letter to MTA Chair Janno Lieber on Tuesday.

“Empower, however, appears to be offering rides without collecting either the state congestion surcharge or the MTA’s Congestion Relief Zone toll,” said Abreu, who chairs the council’s Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “This allows Empower to advertise artificially lower prices while other transportation providers and their drivers continue to follow the law.”

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber claimed the MTA has been trying to recoup the lost fees from Empower.

“They’re ripping off the public,” Lieber said at an unrelated press conference Wednesday. “We have to find a way to make sure if they found a loophole it has to be closed.”

Source: New York Post

Click Here to Read More

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2026:

Weekly news snippets

Access to the membership database

Videos and files from recent conferences

Discounted rates for future conferences, and more!

Renew your membership at http://www.iatr.global or email info@iatr.global for any questions!