Ontario announced restricted tow zones on GTA highways
In March 2021, the province said one approved tow company per zone would offer faster service at standard rates, and police formed a team to tackle towing violence.
On March 2, 2021, Ontario announced a pilot that would set up restricted tow zones on some of the busiest highways in the Greater Toronto Area, along with a police Joint Forces Operation team to investigate violence and criminal activity in the towing industry.
In each zone, only one approved towing company would be allowed to provide service. The province said this would clear highways faster and more safely, with standard rates.
The four zones
- Zone 1: Hwy. 401 from Hwy. 400 east to Morningside Avenue
- Zone 2: Hwy. 401 from Hwy. 400 west to Regional Road 25; Hwy. 427 from the QEW to Hwy. 409; and Hwy. 409 from Hwy. 427 to Hwy. 401
- Zone 3: Hwy. 400 from Hwy. 401 to Hwy. 9
- Zone 4: QEW from Hwy. 427 to Brant Street
Why it mattered for trucking
Geoffrey Wood of the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) said truck drivers in the GTA would see faster service and standard towing rates in the zones.
The measures came from a provincial towing task force set up in June 2020. The task force, which consulted more than 70 stakeholders, also recommended an oversight model for towing and storage, possible licensing for tow truck drivers, and clearer equipment standards.
The pilot was first expected to start in summer 2021. In late November 2021, OTA reported that the Ministry of Transportation would launch it on Dec. 13, 2021. Under the pilot, breakdown tows would be billed at a flat rate covering 10 kilometres, and collision recovery at an hourly rate with a one-hour minimum, ending the four-hour minimums some operators had charged trucking companies.