Tampa Airport Limousine Plans Violates State Law

The announced plans by Tampa Airport to attach fees to limousine services violates the provisions set forth in the Special Act of the Florida Legislature in its creation of the Limousine Regulator, the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission(HCPTC).

Walt Kozak aka the Gunny, a retired US Marine and owner of Gunny's Intrastate Travel and Tours based in Spring Hill, Fl is a well known passenger transportation advocate and is helping lead the charge to bring public awareness to the corrupt economic regulation placed on motor carriers providing intrastate nonpublic

sector transportaion and the economic impact of such regulation upon the consumer.

Says the Gunny, "under penalty of law which carries second degree misdemeanor charges, airport limousine services must obtain from the HCPTC, the authority (certificate), vehicle permits and public vehicle driver's licenses to faciliate loading passengers at the Tampa Airport all pursuant to the directives contained under the Special Act."

"Under the Special Act, "no other public entity within the county may require a person to pay a fee for the privileges granted by this act" and this portion of the law is being violated by both the Tampa Airport and The Tampa Port Authority."

"As of now" continues the Gunny, "the Tampa airport has unlawfully been requiring HCPTC licensed motor carriers using small buses providing either airport shuttles or charters to obtain airport permits. The airport also requires certain intrastate chartered bus motor carriers to obtain HCPTC authority prior to being allowed on airport property to load passengers. This puts the airport in a position of being sued for not only violating the Special Act but also violating a federal preemption that was originally part of the airline deregulation act."

"With the blessings of airport officials, the HCPTC enforcers come aboard airport property ready to toss into jail under the color of law, any limousine operator without HCPTC permits caught loading his or her passengers. Question is, when will we see the corrupt law breaking Public Officials held to the same standards as the ordinary citizen?" asks the Gunny.