Tow truck industry news
Information on changes to laws, operating conditions and reviews of the towing industry.
Services covered by accident towing fees
In its 2013 final report, 'Periodic Review of Accident Towing and Storage Fees', the Essential Services Commission noted that all relevant costs of an accident towing business are accounted for in the regulated fees.
However, the Commission was of the view that clarifying what is covered by the regulated fees in legislation would help minimise any confusion over what 'additional' services can or cannot be charged by operators.
Accordingly, a notice was published in the Victoria Government Gazette on 31 October 2014 [PDF 381 Kb]
In the notice, the Minister for Roads specifies that the base fee of $207.30 covers the costs of the first eight kilometres of travel and all other relevant costs of an accident towing business including, but not limited to, the costs of:
- removing debris (including any spills);
- cleaning the tow truck, tools and equipment;
- waiting time at the road accident scene;
- taking photos of the road accident scene;
- telephone calls and completing documentation relating to the towing of an accident damaged vehicle; and
- releasing the stored vehicle, which may include moving the vehicle to a location at the specified depot to enable it to be collected by the vehicle's owner or another towing operator on the owner's behalf and loading it onto another towing operator's tow truck for the purpose of that collection.
The base fee also includes an allowance for non-commercial (unpaid) tows, which are accident jobs for which a towing operator has not been paid.
The notice clarifies that the base fee and the additional charge for travel beyond the first eigh kilometres cover all towing undertaken by the tow truck until the accident damaged vehicle is delivered to the place specified in the authority to tow.
Review of accident towing and storage fees
In December 2018 the Essential Services Commission provided their Review of Accident Towing and Storage Fees [PDF 1.6Mb] to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety.
VicRoads will carefully review the recommendations made by the Essential Services Commission in relation to towing and storage fees in Victoria before making a recommendation to the Government.