A Calgary city councillor called out local tow truck companies that “prey” on victims of accidents and disrupt emergency responses.
Coun. Peter Demong is seeking to change bylaws which would result in fines for tow truck drivers blocking emergency vehicles at crash sites.
Demong plans to put forward a notice of motion on Thursday to address “predatory behaviours” by towing companies, including establishing a perimeter around crash sites.
According to Demong, there is a “growing local trend” of tow truck companies arriving at the scene of a collision before being called, and subsequently billing the drivers with “ridiculously inflated invoices” to retrieve their vehicles from the lot they’re towed to.
“There is a growing local trend where tow companies showing up at collision scenes prior to being called upon, as is happening in other major cities across Canada,” reads Demong’s notice of motion.
He goes on to call these tow truck drivers “poachers,” referring to individuals who are
“using scanners to pick up the Calgary Fire Department calls for service and arriving there quickly – in some cases before CFD, and attempting to solicit tow services regardless of the condition of the vehicles involved.”
The City of Calgary already has a contract with City Wide Towing for collisions involving police responses within its perimeters.
The company’s operations manager Jeff Hribnak said he began noticing these types of tow trucks at scenes this summer and that such practices are becoming increasingly frequent.
“The amount I’m seeing and hearing about (these companies is) absurd, they’re not within the scope of towing practices,” Hribnak told CTV News Calgary. “It’s not illegal, no, but general public motorists are being taken advantage of.”
Hribnak reviewed another customer’s bill involving a separate towing company and found that the client was similarly charged over double what their contracted prices via the city would be.
“Do your research. Go with a reputable company,” warned Hribnak.
Demong is hoping to persuade the city to review and potentially make changes to the business license bylaw that would prohibit towing companies from stopping within a radius of a collision unless requested to do so by emergency services or the people involved in the collision.
His motion also calls for the so-called poachers to face increasing fines for repeat offences.
He also noted that the Calgary Fire Department would need to spend around $500,000 to retrofit new encrypted radios to prevent poachers from overhearing their calls.
Whereas, creating a perimeter around an accident would be a viable alternative to the problem while also saving the department said expenses.
“These individuals are being asked to move away from the scene so emergency responders can assess the scene only to receive verbal abuse from the “poachers” and in some cases near physical confrontations,” continues the motion.
According to the Calgary Police Service, the CFD has already brought this issue to its attention, however, no formal complaints have been filed thus far.
“We have been made aware of some instances where members of the public have been charged excessive towing and storage fees, so we are aware of that happening,” said Deputy Chief Chad Tawfik.
“It’s relatively recent that it’s been brought to our attention, and it has been a bigger issue in other jurisdictions, so we’re aware it’s been happening elsewhere.”
For example, an unsolicited tow truck driver in Edmonton was recently charged for refusing to release a vehicle to its owner.
Demong’s motion also cited the municipality of Ottawa, which recently made bylaw amendments that require “tow companies to remain outside a 100m radius of the scene of a collision and if in violation of this they will be given a fine of $197.00.”
