Ontario Towing Industry to be Regulated

June 4, 2008 - Important News Release

The Ontario Recovery Group and the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario, are pleased to announce that a Private Member’s Bill entitled the “Towing Industry Act 2008” was introduced in the Ontario Legislature today. This is the result of a collaborative effort among various stakeholders.

The Liberal M.P.P. for Willowdale, David Zimmer, introduced this Private Member’s Bill, which establishes a self-regulatory body for the towing industry called the Towing Industry Council of Ontario. The Ontario Recovery Group and the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario believe that the introduction of the “Towing Industry Act 2008” is the first step towards restoring consumer confidence in this essential and vitally important industry.

Doug Nelson, Executive Director of the Ontario Recovery Group and the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario said "Mr. Zimmer is to be congratulated and thanked for moving forward with this legislative initiative. Our industry associations are anxious to work with Mr. Zimmer and all members of the Ontario Legislature, and all stakeholders to move this Bill forward to its successful completion”.

The Towing Industry Council of Ontario will administer a province-wide registration system and will regulate the towing industry. It will address the pricing of services, work to improve accident clearance, as well as take on other safety and incident management initiatives.

The board of directors of the Towing Industry Council of Ontario will be made up of both towing industry representatives and representatives of other stakeholders. This structure is designed to ensure that industry concerns as well as public interest concerns are the focus of the Council.

Tow truck companies and drivers will be required to register with the Council in order to carry on a towing business or operate a tow truck in Ontario.

A complaints and discipline procedure will be established to ensure that registered persons are held accountable for the way in which they provide towing services. Registrations may be suspended or revoked in certain circumstances.

The activities of the Council will be funded through registration fees established by the board of directors and paid by registered tow truck companies and drivers and applicants for registration.

The board of directors of the Council is provided with regulation-making powers that are subject to the approval of the Government.

Mr. Nelson believes that “this law will undoubtedly result in benefits to the public and the towing industry” and that “elimination of the barriers imposed by costly municipal licencing, promotion of a higher standard of training and conduct, improvement in customer service, and better monitoring of prices charged to consumers for towing services are all welcomed initiatives”. Mr. Nelson further stated that “an additional bonus is that the Act will also give us the opportunity to be more involved in ‘Highway Traffic Incident Management’ and work to improve highway safety and reduce many gridlock issues”.

Public comments are welcomed and should be sent via e-mail to regulations@ptao.org