Every Year Party Bus Companies Face More New Requirements

The state of British Columbia passed new laws where party bus companies are required to hire monitors to watch for booze, drugs on board. New rules were approved just in time for graduation and prom season, minister Claire Trevena says.

Some of the limo operators have been providing their own hired security guards and safety monitors to prom reservations. The guards are supposed to keep the party in check and watch for alcohol, drugs and smoking.

However, city officials passed new regulations on April 1st that require party buses, vans and oversize limousines to have a licensed monitor. The “safety monitor” has to be background checked and is required to have been trained to administer first aid, including the anti-overdose drug Naloxone. The guard is required to all parties where minors are present.

Regulations took effect April 1 that require the oversize limousines to have a monitor on board who has passed a criminal record check and is able to administer first aid, including the anti-overdose drug Naloxone, B.C . Transportation Minister Claire Trevena said Wednesday.

Trevena said the regulations and a “pre-grad blitz” of vehicle inspections are to prevent any tragedies that can happen when minors consume alcohol.Operators are also required to obtain consent forms from parents and guardians of people under 19 to travel on a party bus. Legislation was passed last fall to increase penalties for non-compliance from $1,500 to a maximum of $50,000.

The ministry says the regulation allowing new fines takes effect later this year.

The city of Chicago is considering passing similar laws where fines can reach tens of thousands of dollars. The city has been implementing new laws and regulations to curb the number of party buses cruising in the downtown area.

For a secure and licensed Party bus company in Chicago, call Elite Chicago Limo. 312-201-1055

Experiencing Our Chicago Limousine Service

My name is Stephanie Rolland. I know some of you might be having reserves about using Elite Chicago Limo and I understand completely. I had the same feeling at first, but only because they were a service I had never used before. I decided to give them a shot because I had a few girlfriends who wanted to go to a concert and we thought it would be cool to be driven around in a limo. Well there were about 6 of us who were in the limo. And all I can say is the experience we had when them was nothing short of great. We could not have asked for anything better.

limo service in chicago by stephanie

The limo we got had everything we needed inside of it in order for us girls to have a good time. It was stocked with plenty of alcoholic beverages. We did not go to the concert we wanted to get to immediately. We took some time to have fun in the ride. What we really liked about our experience was the driver. He was really a gentleman who was able to offer us some recommendations on bars we could go to before we went to the concert. After the whole experience was over he made sure to get us home without any problems. This was a big plus for us.

Of course during our experience we did not want to be driven around in something that was not going to make us look good, but that was not a problem when we use Elite Chicago Limo. The limo that picked us up looked very nice and it was completely clean. When we were initially picked up the driver came earlier than we expected, which is way better than some experiences we have had in the past.

The driver was well informed. We never really had to ask him any questions regarding streets. He seemed to know every street name as well as every traffic pattern in the Chicago area. We were able to get to where we wanted to go in no time.

The driver told us exactly when he was going to pick up up and where he was going to pick us up. This was good seeing as how the last thing us girls wanted to do is walk around tipsy wondering where the driver was. The driver also made sure to give me a call just to make sure we would meet in the same place. All I can say is, the level of service I got along with my friends was great.

To top it all off the driver did not mind our making some special request that he probably did not have to follow through with. For instance, we wanted to get our picture taken in front of the limo so we can post it on our social networking account. We asked the driver to take multiple pictures. We know this might have irritated him a little bit, but he did not let it show and he did not say anything about it. Plus the pictures he took came out really good.

All I can say is the experience we had with Elite Chicago Limo was very personal and it is the first service I am going to call when I am hoping to go out on the town again with some girlfriends. It was memorable and I cannot imagine another company would have had a driver that was so personable.  Never did we feel like we had to walk on eggshells for the driver.

Limo Service Provider: Elite Chicago Limo

Safety Precautions Limo Companies Can Take to Avoid Tragedy if Limo Catches Fire

May 4th marked a terrible tragedy in the limousine industry. A Limousine carrying a bachelorette party of 9 women caught fire in San Francisco. The 1999 Lincoln was crossing San Francisco Bay Bridge at the 7th mile as the passengers started to smell smoke. The interior started to get foggy and when the driver pulled over the back of the car was already flaming. The driver and 4 members of the party got out, however, 5 women, including the bride did not make it in time.

lincoln-limo-on-fire-san-fran-bride-party-dead-womenThe heat was so strong it melted the back part of the limo. The passing cars could feel the heat even across 4 lane street. What caused the fire is still unknown. The first guess was that the fire started underneath the limousine or outside in the trunk. The investigators are trying to find out the reason the limo got fire and why it spread so rapidly.

Firefighters around burned limousine with 4 bodies inside

What Safety Steps Should Limousine Companies Take To Eliminate Accidents Like This?

We hope to never experience such a tragic event again. For prevention Elite Chicago Limo has set certain rules that all the limos should follow. These are the steps we have taken to ensure all of our Chicago limousines are ready to handle emergency situations.

• Emotion control is very important. We have trained our drivers to stay calm and help the passengers out of the vehicle.

• All limousines must have at least 2 fire extinguishers: 1 in the back trunk of the limo, 1 in the front in the drivers area.

• All limos must have tools to break the windows and cut the seat-belts. Also, the extinguisher could be used to break the windows.

• All drivers must have heat resistant gloves in the driver’s area.

• Calling 911 is one of the most important things! Please call as soon as you detect any issues or get into the accident.

By following these steps we can minimize the chances of a tragedy. Passenger safety is most important to us!

Passing Limo Driver Saves a House After Seeing a Nearby Barn Burn

By William G.J. of Elite Chicago Limo & Blog
Have a story? Call Limo Services Chicago (312)201-1055 

Carol Burtt was at her home in Westbro sleeping when she hears the knock on the door. When she opened it, there was a limo driver waiting and a stretch limousine parked just outside. At first, Carol thought hes at the wrong address, since she didn’t order a limo services. However, she soon heard the reason the driver was at her front door.

“Your garage is on fire, Ma’am”.
The house owner soon called the alarm. It was 2 am in the morning. The fire was already spread on the roof of the barn, however, it has not reached the residential buildings around it.

The firefighters have not yet determined what caused the garage to catch fire, however, they claim that if Chicago limousine driver would not have seen the incident, the house of Carol’s would have burn as well.

“I have not seen a fire so big. The flames were 50 feet high. It was gigantic.“, one of the firefighters said.

The old barn was used as a car garage, for keeping things and as an owner’s workshop.

The home was just a few feet away across the driveway, but thankfully there was no wind and it did not catch fire.

Ms. Burtt feel extremely lucky and thankful for a friendly limo driver which took his time to stop his limousine and save a strangers home.

Story overview by Limo Service Chicago Blog http://www.elitechicagolimo.com

Chicago Firefighters fight fire in the barn
Smoke Rises from the garage while the local firefighters extinguish the fire. Photo by C. Burtt

Chicago Auto Sales Are On a Decline in July

When the bad news couldn’t get any worse for Chicago businesses (www.elitechicagolimo.com), the weak American branded auto sales reports have stalled economic recovery in Chicago for even longer.  While the foreign brands like Toyota and Honda are on pace with their expectations, the domestic brands have miles of catching up to do.

As a result, the business activity has taken a toll in Chicago.  Since the majority of the Chicago economy depends on the transportation industry such as limousines, shuttle buses, party buses, and auto repair, having the vehicle sales drop while the driving activity weakens has made a serious dent in the recovery process.   Less people hit the nightlife in Chicago, go shopping, and enjoy their daily activities because the wealth isn’t spreading around or “trickling down” to the consumers.

So while the rest of the United States is making a swift run to match 14 million in vehicle sales expectations this year, Chicago is lagging behind.   This is a double whammy for Illinois because of its reliance on the limousine sale, service, and rental industry and the already increasing taxes on the individual tax payers and corporations.  Not to mention, there are quite a few major auto insurance companies headquartered in the surrounding Chicago suburbs such as Allstate and State Farm.

Due to the slowing vehicle sales, Chicago is seeing more work done on older vehicles and conversions from old shuttle buses to party buses.  Chicago limos are also being converted from older Lincoln, Freightliner, and Chrysler makes instead of the newer models such as Lincoln MKZ.

loner customer at the auto dealer
Less People shopping for vehicles is having a major effect on the Chicago economy.

All hope for Chicago is put on the performance of vehicle sales and service rentals in August, as well as on the upcoming elections which will certainly push things around.  Change is certainly welcome in the Windy City.

Economic Recovery and Chicago Businesses

With all that’s going on in the world today, it is very easy to get overwhelmed by the information available out there. The potential War and nuclear crisis in Iran, the notorious race for the Republican Presidential Nominee with the infamous Romney, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich, the ecological crises that seemingly erupt daily, and the plea for government reform on every corner. Thus when you start thinking about all of these problems, issues, and daily occurrence, you oftentimes forget about your own wellbeing and forget what’s most important to you – that is, the livelihood of your family, business, and yourself.

Those aforementioned criteria have been recently governed by the economic stimulus or lack thereof. But regardless of how difficult it may be for us to accept the fact that the Economic recovery is slow and it won’t happen overnight, it is indeed making progress. All over Chicago and the US, businesses are once again starting to hire, promote their products, and make moves that are setting them up for a perceived potential Economic boom. After all, everyone knows that down moves in the stock market and the economy do not last forever. Thus, more and more people are regaining confidence in our current economic status and starting to collect their money from under their mattresses and slowly easing into good investments.

In Chicago, this has become the new norm. Although it may seem that the foreclosures are still everywhere in all of Chicago, and that Chicago citizens are being very cautious with their money, it’s becoming harder and harder to find properties and investments for a bargain. As a matter of fact, investors are flocking to Chicago’s real estate market, investing in the air lines and couriers again, buying work cars such as Chicago Limousines, and hiring labor. If you were to compare Chicago O’Hare airport today and in 2008, you would see nearly triple the amount of limousines transporting businessmen and families from and to the airports.

It’s kind of silly, but you can tell a lot about the economy by measuring the success and the expansion of a Chicago Limo company. When Chicago limo service is down, so is the economy, when it picks up, it’s a signal of a recovering economy.

If you are interested how the economy impacts limousine business directly, visit http://www.elitechicagolimo.com or call us 312-201-1055.

Visit Elite Chicago Limo and Party Bus Garage and Workshop

Chicago, IL – There is nothing worse than ordering something and receiving a completely different product. Especially if that product is your limousine on your wedding day. There are many shady companies that do not own their fleet but resell orders to affiliates.

We know how painful it can be getting a totally wrong type of a car, or a limousine that is from the nineties.

Therefore, every week we host a vehicle viewing open house. You can come in to our garage and see our Chicago limousines and party Buses in person! There are no secrets and all our cars are free for you to see.

Come and see our beautiful fleet in person!

(finally, after battling with US mail service for a couple of weeks, we got the google verification letter. You can check out our updated google places listing here:

Feel free to look through the pictures of our limousines. Rate and review if you wish. If you have any suggestions on how to improve our appearance here, please let us know. Your opinion really matters. Visit us or call us with any questions or concerns!