Vehicle towing and roadside assistance should be heavily regulated, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Jacky Chen (陳清龍) said today, following reports of towing companies charging extraordinarily high fees.
The sector should also have standardized contracts, with fines for breaking the contract ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$1 million (US$3,178 to US$31,758), Chen said.
Chen added that he would push for amendments to the Highway Act (公路法) to fully regulate roadside assistance.
Photo: Lo Kuo-chia, Taipei Times
Many people have reported sky-high prices for towing a vehicle after it breaks down, with towing companies taking advantage of the situation to overcharge the public, TPP Taipei City Councilor Chen Yu-cheng (陳宥丞) said recently.
Disputes like these involving towing services are not uncommon, Jacky Chen said.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications said it would discuss standard towing contracts with local governments, but these new regulations would not take effect until the end of the year at the earliest, he said.
“How much longer is the ministry going to sleep?” he asked, adding that people would continue to be ripped off by towing companies in the meantime.
The amendment would require authorities to establish a standard contract for towing services, complete with required and prohibited clauses, he said.
It would take effect three months after promulgation, preventing towing companies from continuing to take advantage of people in need, he added.
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