Over 90 charges laid in City of London tow truck licence initiative

Over 90 charges were laid in the London, Ont., tow truck business licence enforcement initiative.

Scheduled over one week in November, the enforcement project focused on business licensing regulations, including record keeping, impound yard requirements as well as maximum fees for towing and storage.

The City of London municipal compliance services laid a total of 92 by-law penalties and 10 warnings against 12 different towing firms. Additional penalties, as well as business license suspensions, are pending, according to the city.

In 2021, “city council passed an amendment to the business licensing by-law to introduce towing regulations which focused on consumer protection and safety of the public and first responders at accident scenes,” the city wrote in a statement.

Prior to the project, 42 penalties and two licence suspensions were issued in response to complaints since July 2021.

“Through collaborative and consistent enforcement, we will ensure compliance with local and provincial regulations for the towing industry,” said Orest Katolyk, director municipal compliance.

“Business licensing regulations were enacted in response to price gouging and issues at accident scenes raised by citizens and first responders.”

For more information on tow truck business licences, visit www.london.ca/tow.