Ottawa police laid 75 charges and placed seven tow trucks out of service during first-quarter enforcement targeting the towing industry.
The Ottawa Police Service said that, working with enforcement partners, it carried out targeted inspections and enforcement from Jan. 1 to March 31 under the Tow and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act and the Highway Traffic Act.
The enforcement effort resulted in 41 charges under the TSSEA and 34 under the Highway Traffic Act. One tow truck was impounded under a seven-day vehicle impoundment program, according to a news release.
Police also conducted 33 tow yard inspections and issued 18 TSSEA charges for tow yard non-compliance.
As a result of enforcement action, five businesses were either refused certificates or had their certificates canceled by Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation.
Police said the initiative was focused on enforcement and education. All companies charged were informed of the violations before court proceedings, and in some cases an option to stay charges was offered to support compliance with legislative requirements.
Where operators showed that identified issues had been corrected, charges were stayed by the prosecution with input from the investigating officer.
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