The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors, which is responsible for managing all of the surface transportation in San Francisco, recently approved a new towing contract.
The contract is with San Francisco AutoReturn, a company that has assisted in improving its service for several years.
The five-year contract reduces towing fees by 5 percent and widens the stolen-vehicle waiver to people who do not live in San Francisco.
"Victims of auto theft shouldn't be victimized again by having to pay towing fees,” Supervisor Scott Wiener said. “I'm pleased MTA is extending the provisions I advocated for to reduce or eliminate towing fees for people whose cars have been stolen. When I authored a resolution at the Board of Supervisors calling for a reduction in tow fees for victims of vehicle thefts, I made it clear that those who had no role in their cars being towed should not be burdened with towing costs and storage fees. I want to thank MTA for working with us on this important issue and bringing forward this long-term solution.”
The new contract was tweaked after a thorough analysis about the costs that are part of the towing program. The 5 percent reduction amounts to an average of $22.25. Other towing fees will not be reduced and remain in effect at least through fiscal 2017.
“We've done our best to reduce the likelihood and cost of tows, but they are sometimes necessary to ensure that our roads can function properly,” SFMTA Director Ed Reiskin said. “This contract aims to provide the best customer service, while making it a little less costly for those who have been towed.”
"This contract will allow us to continue our efforts to reduce the number of tows, while making it easier for people to get their car when it is towed," Tom Nolan, chairman of the SFMTA Board of Directors, said.
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