GET BLITZED
Ottawa Police Services (OPS) recently conducted a tow truck enforcement blitz across the city, where 40 tow truck were stopped, and 43 charges were laid. Officers were verifying compliance with the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act (TSSEA) and requested items like certification, required licenses to operate in Ontario, consent forms, run sheets and daily logs
SEAL OF APPROVAL
As of July 1, 2024, tow truck drivers require a provincial certificate to operate in Ontario. The move comes following significant government efforts to address “bad actors” in the towing industry. Legislation was passed in 2021 as the government assumed industry oversight responsibilities from municipalities. Tow truck company operates have required certification since January 1, 2024, when the 2021 law came into effect. Among other new protections: tow truck drivers are required to provide information to customers about their maximum fees, and they must take the customer’s vehicle to the desired location using the most direct route.
BE FREE!
Rivian has announced that it is developing a software that would allow its EVs to be free wheel towed, according to a recent patent application. Free-wheel towing refers to when a vehicle is towed behind another vehicle with all four wheels on the ground. In the patent application, Rivian proposes adding a software made for free-wheel towing to its EV pickup trucks and SUVs alongside the various drive modes and other software-enabled features already available
MARITIME DELAYS
Tow truck operators in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, are frustrated after the Municipal Government delayed a decision on a controversial bylaw until after the summer. The bylaw in the question attempts to place limits on the fees tow truck drivers and charge to clean up accident scenes; place regulations on licensing of operators and regulates who/which companies are called to accident scenes. One operator argued that the regulations are unfair and that there is no “tow truck industry” in Cape Breton—just 10 private companies operating to make a living. Cape Breton regional police Staff Sargeant Joe Farrell argues regional police need the bylaw to control accident scenes more effectively; insurance providers have also complained of excessive towing fees, he added. Tow operators objected to a proposal for a flat fee for cleaning up accidents during a June protest. They demand more insight before the bylaw is further discussed in council.
