Illegal parking getting more expensive as Vancouver hikes towing fuel surcharges
Parking illegally could soon cost you more after Vancouver city council voted to increase the fuel surcharges collected by towing companies.
A staff report recommending the city hike the surcharge to 26 per cent – more than double the current rate of 12 per cent for vehicles towed from public property – was approved during Tuesday's council meeting.
The new rate will also replace the existing 13.5 per cent surcharge for vehicles towed from private property.
"This will help support local business and the economic viability of the tow truck industry," the report said.
The increase once again brings the city's towing fuel surcharges in line with those approved by ICBC, which hiked its rate to 26 per cent in April. Vancouver previously increased its rates for towing from public and private property to match ICBC's in 2016 and 2020.
"Since then, the cost of diesel fuel, which is a significant expense for tow truck companies, has increased substantially," the report noted.
The monthly average retail price of diesel has soared from $1/litre in January 2016 to $2.32/litre in May 2022, according to the city.
When the change takes effect, illegal parkers won't be the only ones paying more. Since hired tow trucks will charge the same rate, Vancouver staff estimate the new surcharges will cost the city $50,000 more this year for the towing of publicly owned vehicles and equipment.
That additional expense is expected to be covered by "existing engineering budgets for towing," the report added.
Vehicles parked illegally on city streets and in public parks face a base impound fee of $77.46. The current 12 per cent surcharge adds $9.30 to that total, for tows of six kilometres or less, according to the City of Vancouver's website.
Under the new surcharge, which is expected to come into effect following the next council meeting on July 19, drivers would be dinged about $20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.