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Obama inauguration | San Francisco Travel Blog

D.C. Commission Reduces Cost of Limousine Permits for Obama Inauguration

By San Francisco Limousine Specialist on December 9, 2012

After receiving sharp criticism from area limousine services with reservations for the upcoming Obama inauguration, the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission has backed down from plans to require out-of-town limos to obtain a $500 permit. The commission lowered the permit price to a much more affordable $150 recently after the price hike outraged limo companies that had already signed contracts with clients that included the $125 limo permit required for the last inauguration. The limousine services only learned of the price hike in mid-November, well after many clients had made reservations. They howled that the commission was implementing the price hike much too late to plan accordingly and that passing along the additional $350 to clients would outrage their clients.

"I’m speechless," said the manager of one limo service in suburban Washington. "That’s over the top. That’s stiff. That’s very stiff."

"I’m not shocked by anything that they will do," said the owner of another limousine service. "They… have no idea what they are doing."

The commission says that the $150 limo permit will be in effect for a four-day period around the January 21 inauguration, a much smaller time frame than the 30 to 45 days the $500 permit allowed. Limo companies claimed that the additional time did them or their clients little good since the inauguration only occurs on one day. As you might guess, a presidential inauguration is a very big event for limousine companies. Around 10,000 limos and other for-hire vehicles obtained permits from the commission for the last inauguration, netting the district around $1.2 million in revenue.

Commission spokesman Neville Waters told reporters that the commission reconsidered the price hike after receiving "input from the marketplace," calling their change in policy “a dynamic process.”

Since we own and operate our own limousine service here in the Bay Area, we can only assume that the dynamics to which Mr. Waters refers involved unpleasant phone calls from limo companies and tersely worded correspondence from their attorneys. The price hike that the commission tried to implement was not only ill-timed; it was also very ill-advised and would have been very damaging to these businesses if it had not been rescinded. They would have had to choose between absorbing the $350 cost or passing it along to their clients, neither of which is an attractive option.

If you’re looking for attractive San Francisco limousine options for an upcoming special event, you have definitely come to the right place! We simply offer the best Bay Area limo experience for the best rates in the area and go above and beyond to ensure that each of our guests has a wonderful time. If you need a San Francisco limousine, party bus, SUV limo or other luxury transportation for a special occasion, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 today to receive the presidential treatment!

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