Nashville Transportation Licensing Commission uses police-state tactics to squash limo competition

Nashville Transportation Licensing Commission Admits To Using Police Badges

NASHVILLE -- Last fall, The Huffington Post reported that the city of Nashville had begun to push new regulations that were driven by big limo companies and aimed at squashing independent competition. The small car companies fought back, filing a lawsuit to overturn the new requirements.
That's when it got ugly.

Drivers allege that after the lawsuit was filed, city inspectors, working on behalf of the Nashville Transportation Licensing Commission, began targeting independent operators by pulling their cars over and issuing citations -- even when presented with the legal documents in question -- and harassing off-duty drivers in their personal vehicles.Read more

This is an outrage! Please read this story! A former inspector for the TLC is coming out and telling how the  inspectors for the Nashville Transportation Licensing Commission have been impersonating police officers and how they have been on a mission to destroy the independent private car service companies.

Not only has the city tried to force competitors of the big limo companies out of business by imposing minimum fare price-fixing, the Transportation Licensing Commission has been acting like police-state gangsters, illegally impersonating police officers, illegally using blue lights, writing tickets on phony trumped-up charges and intimidating and threatening drivers of the independent private car services.

Many of the drivers of the independent car companies are immigrants and some come from authoritarian countries where the police are feared and corrupt. They may be more susceptible to "police" intimidation than native-born Americans. If there is a thorough investigation this history of abuse of authority and intimidation and corruption will come to light.

This whole episode of how Metro has used price-fixing and police-state tactics to squash companies that dared to try to compete with the politically-connected luxury limo companies is disgusting. I am thankful that the Huffington Post has investigated this story but it is a shame that no local media has shown an interest. Why has the local media, not shown an interest in this story?

The Mayor should demand that TLC's Brian McQuistion resign immediately, the Attorney General's office should investigate McQuistion for criminal activity and bring criminal charges against TLC inspectors who impersonated police officers,  the Metro Council's public safety committee should hold hearings on this criminal activity and abuse of authority, and the Council should repeal limo price-fixing. 

(To learn more about this issue and read related stories click here.)

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