If you have had an accident, you may need a melbourne accident towing service to help get your vehicle off the road. These services include tow truck service, flatbed towing and wrecker towing.
Those who provide these services are licensed to do so under the Accident Towing Services Act 2007. They must be accredited by VicRoads and comply with a number of requirements to ensure their operation is safe and responsible.
The law surrounding the accident towing industry is largely founded on safety and consumer protection sentiments but it also has economic controls in place, regulating the manner in which the industry operates. These controls are designed to deter or punish unsafe and unethical conduct.
1. The accident towing service licensing scheme – licences are tangible, issued in the form of a ‘TOW’ or ‘HTT’ number plate and entitle operators to receive an accident allocation through a self-managed accident allocation scheme administered by VicRoads (see table A). These licences can be transferred from one operator to another, subject to approval from VicRoads.
2. The accident towing allocation scheme – a tow truck driver can only attend an accident scene after receiving an accident allocation through the accident allocation scheme. It is an offence to do so without first receiving an accident allocation.
3. The accreditation scheme – Part 3 of the Accident Towing Services Act sets out a number of character requirements for accident towing operators, including a requirement to hold an accreditation from VicRoads. Accreditation is only granted to operators who meet the criteria for accreditation and can be refused at the discretion of VicRoads if they are found to have committed a range of criminal offences related to their conduct in the accident towing industry.
4. The ‘chain of responsibility’ concept in the accident towing industry – there are a number of industry parties that can be held responsible for the actions of others. These parties are referred to as the ‘chain of responsibility’ in the Act and are designed to allocate the responsibilities for a road accident to those who are in a position to control or influence those actions.
5. The ‘dormant’ licences – some licences are not assigned to specific tow trucks and licence holders can use these ‘dormant’ licences to manage their accident towing fleets more effectively, and in some cases to reduce costs.
6. The accident towing fees – fees are regulated in the Melbourne controlled area for accident towing and storage services. These fees are determined by the minister and based on the cost of operating a tow truck and providing storage services.
7. The productivity of accident towing – the average number of accidents tows per licensed tow truck has increased since 2013. This may reflect an increase in the amount of business conducted by accident towing operators, as well as improved utilisation of their tow trucks.
The Melbourne Transport CPI, the main index used for measuring costs in the accident towing industry, has decreased from around 17 per cent in 2013 to around 12 per cent in 2017. This is mainly due to reductions in the cost of automotive fuel. Wages have also been increasing, although they are not reflected in this index.
