Mass. Operators Eligible for Educational Scholarships Through TTA

June 14, 2021 : Chauffeur Driven

The Transportation Alliance (TTA) has announced more than $273,000 in new educational scholarships are now available for livery and taxi fleets and their drivers in the Bay State.

The scholarships will pay up to $1,250 per fleet and $150 per driver for courses aimed at improving safety and service quality. The scholarships are funded through a grant from MassDevelopment, a state and economic development and finance authority.

Fleets and drivers may apply for any program that enhances safety or service, and are subject to approval by TTA. TTA has already pre-approved non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) company accreditation programs offered by the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC) for both drivers and fleets. This is the only nationally recognized NEMT accreditation program in the country, giving participating fleets and drivers a major competitive business edge in today’s marketplace.

NEMTAC is also giving a 10 percent discount to any Massachusetts company with three or more vehicles applying for accreditation. The accreditation fees are as follows: $75 application fee for all applicants, plus an accreditation fee based on fleet size: 1-2 vehicles is $750; 3-10 vehicles is $1,500; 11-50 vehicles is $2,500; and 51 or more vehicles is $3,500. The maximum scholarship value of $1,250, helping larger fleets pay a significant portion of their full accreditation fee.

“Through these scholarships, we hope to provide opportunities to dedicated, professional fleets and their drivers that not only expand on their knowledge and skills, but also give them more resources so they can serve their communities to the best of their ability,” said TTA President Nick Cambas. “We’re grateful to MassDevelopment for this important grant, which allows us to create better educational opportunities for our drivers and fleet operators and enables our industry to offer expanded transportation services.”

Applications for both fleets and drivers may be found online, and are also available at RideLocalMA.com. Scholarships will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds are fully expended.

Visit thetransportationalliance.org for more information about TTA.