Federal Government Claims It Owns Fewer Limousines
The General Services Administration (GSA) has refuted claims by some government watchdog groups that the federal government owns more limousines now than at any other time in the nation’s history. According to the GSA, the number of limos in the federal fleet is in sharp decline and reflects the belt-tightening occurring in nearly all branches of government. However, critics say that the decline is due to bureaucrats who have redefined what types of vehicles can be classified as limousines.
The Center for Public Integrity, a non-partisan government watchdog group, published a report last year that said the number of limousines owned by the federal government had skyrocketed during the Obama administration. They said that when President Obama took office in 2008, the government owned 238 limos and that by 2010 that number had ballooned to 412. The GSA’s most recent findings indicate that the government owned only 158 limousines in 2011. Responding to the GSA’s findings, the Center for Public Integrity said that the sharp decline was mostly due to reclassifying the term “limousine” by excluding shuttle buses and other vehicles capable of transporting larger groups of people.
The Center claims that new GSA guidelines classify a limousine as “a vehicle with a lengthened wheelbase, generally driven by a dedicated driver with possible customization, including ‘privacy panels’ and stretching for capacity and comfort."
The Center also reports that the GSA instructed federal agencies that "vehicles, including shuttle buses, without the aforementioned characteristics should not be reported as limousines."
At NLS Limo, we classify our San Francisco limousines, shuttle buses, SUV limos and other luxury ground transportation options as “vehicles with a longer wheelbase driven by a dedicated professional chauffeur designed, engineered and maintained to provide our guests with a fun, luxurious and entirely wonderful time at very affordable prices.”
Admittedly, we have not submitted our definition to the GSA for their review. If you choose one of our Bay Area limos, party buses, luxury sedans or other luxury vehicles for an upcoming special occasion, we’re confident that you’ll agree with our definition. In fact, instead of reducing our fleet of limos, we are constantly adding new models in order to better serve our guests for all their luxury ground transportation needs! If you would like to reserve a San Francisco limo for an upcoming event, just give us a call today at 800-339-8936! We welcome any inquiries by the Center for Public Integrity.