Every four years the Essential Services Commission conducts a review of accident towing and storage fees within Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. The commission then makes recommendations to the Minister for Roads about the regulated fees.
Accident towing and storage charges are the only regulated towing fees in Victoria. Unregulated trade towing and storage services include clearway, impound and breakdown towing jobs.
The commission’s director of pricing Marcus Crudden says the draft report proposes the current regulated accident towing fees and storage fees are appropriate.
“Stakeholders had mixed views on maintaining the existing accident towing fees, but our benchmarking analysis shows that no change is required, and they are in line with regulated fees in Sydney, Queensland and Adelaide,” he said.
“Current accident towing fees provide adequate compensation for the additional work required for an accident towing job, compared to a trade towing job.”
Mr Crudden says the current regulated storage fees are in line with industry costs.
“We found the regulated storage fees to be consistent with trade towing and vehicle impounding, as well as land rental values and storage utilisation,” he said.
Anyone who is interested can now visit Engage Victoria to have their say on the recommendations before a final report goes to the minister in April 2022.
Submissions on this draft report close on 11 February 2022.
