English: A parking meter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Lately there has been a lot of hype about licensing for valet attendants. In fact, the Council’s Public Safety Committee in Los Angeles started working on a regulation that would require all valet parking attendants to have city permits. According to a recent article published by CBS LOS ANGELES, the Licensing for Valet Attendants Plan would also include related fees.
The fees would be carried out by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). Based
on the Ladot Valet Parking Requirements and Fees (CF 09-0206), the charges are equal to the
overall potential parking meter revenue for parking spaces and public streets near any meter
that provides valet parking.
For valet companies, this proposal could get quite expensive rather fast. To begin with, the
on-street usage fee application review starts at $84.00. Then there are numerous other fees
that fluctuate from $340.00 to $900.00. Aside from the initial permit fees there are also annual
fees.
The intent of the ordinance is to help protect the consumer. While it’s understandable that many consumers feel that handing over their keys for the brand new car, actual problems occuring from valet service companies are quite uncommon.
Valet services typically have strict guidelines when hiringnew workers. Generally a valet service will do a full screening of their employers before they are even hired. Almost all valet companies require a spotless driving record in addition to a good standing Class D license.
Then you have a criminal records check and sometimes drug and alcohol screening. And of course, employees need to know how to drive an automatic as well as a stick shift.
As we said, The licensing for valet attendants is designed to protect the vehicle owner. Yet the proposal is quite vague in many aspects. The regulations for valet services at private locations and residential homes are unclear. Some people feel that the new proposal has the potential of too many rules and guidelines.
For valet attendants and valet companies, the measure might be a bit nerve-racking, especially
for LA residents. Other cities like Chicago and New Orleans also have similar plans that
implement licensing for valet attendants. Right now it is too early to see if these proposals will
even be affective.
Hopefully the new proposal won’t impose too many fees or overly strict guidelines on valet companies. Unfortunately many of these proposals intended to “protect” the consumer are short sighted and end up imposing more costs on the provider who is eventually forced to pass the cost on to the consumer in order to remain profitable.
