Tough new laws cracking down on unscrupulous practices in the crash towing industry are expected to be introduced into Western Australia’s parliament on Thursday.
The Towing Services Bill includes caps on charges for the towing and storage of light vehicles to stop operators charging drivers who have just been involved in crashes with excessive fees.
A tow-truck operator clashes with a motorist in Perth’s southern suburbs.Credit: Nine News Perth
Under the reforms, cash rewards for members of the public who call in crashes, known as spotter’s fees, will also be banned.
Then-transport minister Rita Saffioti first announced the drafting of regulations to control the industry in 2019.
The announcement was driven by evidence released by WAtoday contributor and Nine News Perth journalist Gary Adshead of dangerous driving, standover tactics and corruption in the industry.
A civilian working in the WA Police operations centre had told Nine News Perth she traded crash scene tip-offs for corrupt payments totalling more than $16,000.
She pleaded guilty to official corruption in a case that embroiled a Perth company called Performance Towing, though that company denied any wrongdoing.
Then, in August 2019 a triple zero call-taker at St John Ambulance was also accused of providing crash scene tip-offs to the tow truck industry.
Perth woman Pippa Clinch was in 2020 found guilty and fined for disclosing official secrets, having used an encrypted messaging app to tip tow-truck contacts off to crash scenes, in return for a financial kickback.
On Thursday morning, five years after the scandal erupted, assistant transport minister David Michael told Adshead on Radio 6PR the new regulations would stamp out criminality in the industry.
“We’ve heard the frustration from your listeners and you on 6PR,” he said.
“We’ve seen some of the terrible behaviour, like physical altercations between tow-truck drivers and all those associated issues that have been occurring.
“It’s a serious concern, and it has taken a little while because it’s a new regulation of industry.”
He said the government had worked with WA Police, Worksafe, Consumer Protection and the towing and insurance industries to “get this right”.
“We want to make sure that there are no loopholes and this can’t continue,” he said.
Towing workers will also be required to have an occupational authorisation, a form of ID showing workers have been subject to character checks.
While the specific maximum towing charge is still being drafted, Michael indicated it would be around the $400 mark to tow a vehicle up to 50 kilometres within Perth and Peel.
The legislation is expected to pass through the lower house for debate in September.