Oversight of Ontario’s towing industry is now in the hands of the provincial government.
Regulation of tow truck drivers, tow companies and vehicle storage yards became the responsibility of the provincial Ministry of Transportation, as of Jan. 1 this year.
That means the town is no longer overseeing the often-contentious business of towing illegally parked cars.
Aggressive towing practices, especially from private lots in the Bronte area, have infuriated Oakville drivers in recent years.
Many – including Ward 1 town councillor Jonathan McNeice, describe the practices as "predatory towing."
Some – including Mayor Rob Burton – staunchly defend the rights of private lot owners to contract with towing companies to strictly enforce parking restrictions.
But others suggest the issue is less black and white.
Some customers park in one lot and visit multiple businesses on foot, others buy a coffee and walk to look at the lake, and some are mistakenly targeted by tow drivers.
Property lines in the parking area at Bronte’s Centriller Square aren’t always evident to customers and parking restrictions are enforced even when most business in the square are closed.
In hundreds of Facebook and Google review posts, residents and visitors have complained about cars being towed within minutes of parking, tow truck drivers demanding cash payments to release vehicles, fees exceeding the maximums allowed, and other abusive behaviours.
In 2020, a new town bylaw sought to curb some of the problems.
But cracking down on offenders has been "a cat and mouse game," with companies losing their business licences under one name then re-emerging under a slightly modified name, says McNeice.
He’s hopeful that the province’s powers will allow it to permanently rid the industry of businesses that don’t follow the rules.
"They have more authority for bad actors than the town," said McNeice.
Getting rid of the bad actors is exactly the province’s plan, although its main focus is to clean up predatory tow pricing on GTA-area highways.
A new Towing and Vehicle Storage Oversight Office has been created to "register and oversee non-compliant activities of tow drivers, and tow and vehicle storage operators."
New rules around pricing, paperwork and payments have been put place to protect customers, with penalties for violations.
Operators will set their own rates, but the ministry is reserving the right to reject rates that it says are unreasonable. It has given operators until the end of January to submit rates and says it will then post them publicly.
Tow operators, tow truck drivers and vehicle storage operators must now be certified by the province, while mandatory training has been introduced for tow truck drivers.
Certifications may be denied to operators who have had municipal licenses suspended or revoked.
Town staff are working with the province to share that information, according to a December 2023 report to town council from municipal enforcement services staff member Karyn Bennett.
Complaints about tow issues (services or conduct) arising after Jan. 1 can be reported to [email protected]
The province suggests reporting incidents as soon as they happen and including as much information as possible, such as:
- date the incident occurred
- information about the driver or operator (for example, CVOR number, tow or vehicle storage certificate number, company name, name on the side of the truck, driver name)
- details of the event
- supporting evidence (for example, photos, invoices, consent forms, dashcam video, collision reports)
"Public safety is our top priority, and we will continue to take action that protects the people of Ontario," says an email from the Ministry of Transportation.
Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford did not respond to Oakville News' request for an interview about how the new provincial rules might affect Bronte’s towing situation.