Nashville Metro Council Approves Transpotainment Regulation
The Metro Council on Tuesday night overwhelmingly approved a bill bringing the array of party vehicles on Nashville's downtown streets under the jurisdiction of the Transportation Licensing Commission, aiming to regulate the growing and rowdy armada of so-called transpotainment. The bill also bans alcohol on the vehicles, a provision that, if left as is, could effectively be a death blow for the industry.
The bill's passage was expected, and it was approved by a vote of 33 to 3. Its lead sponsor, downtown Councilmember Freddie O'Connell, offered an amended version of the bill with compromise language that he described as a "good-faith effort to absorb some industry concerns," but it was blocked from consideration when two other councilmembers objected. The bill was amended to reduce the insurance requirement for transpotainment operators that had been set in the original version of the legislation.
O'Connell emphasized that he hopes to follow up with more legislation that would allow alcohol use on the vehicles in some way.
"We are waiting on some analysis from Metro Legal to pursue a potential permitting process for 'bring your own' and possibly something equivalent to or akin to a mobile catering permit that could allow point-of-sale, and something that moves to a level but regulated landscape for all of these vehicles," O'Connell said.
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