A commentary by the founder of the Fair Towing Alliance in the United States. He works in the field of homelessness.
I clearly remember the person’s emotional plea as the towing would lead to his being on the street. However, our standard operating procedure was to tow cars under those particular circumstances.The recent decision to raise costs related to the towing of cars in North Cowichan will disproportionately affect those who are experiencing homelessness. It will also put housed families at risk.
People will struggle to pay for the towing and the particulars that lead to the towing. These costs will not only affect the unhoused — it will also affect the housed who work hard and live paycheque-to-paycheque.Even a person who is working might need time to save up for a tow and during that time they might accrue storage fees.
Towing alone is not the solution, as it could unintentionally pass a burden from the local government to tow operators.