Managing director of the Transport Authority, Keith Goodison, says state agencies that utilise the services of wrecker operators should charge members of the public a common fee.
"There is no uniformity in the wrecker fees," Goodison tells The Sunday Gleaner. "The KSAC (Kingston and St Andrew Corporation) recently increased its fees, the police might have a different fee, and I have a fee that I have held tightly with the wreckers that I contract. They (wrecker operators) are complaining that the Transport Authority's charge is too small, because they earn more from the police and the KSAC."
Goodison's call comes against the background of a report in last week's Sunday Gleaner, pointing to corruption by some wrecker operators contracted by several state agencies.
When asked if there was the possibility of an agreement being reached among all parties, Goodison says the Transport Authority would have to be given jurisdictional authority to ensure that the police and KSAC conform to any agreement reached.
Consistency necessary
"The police now operate under their own jurisdictional law, and the KSAC have a municipal law that they operate under," he says. "But there needs to be some consistency that if the vehicle is moved from Cross Roads to Lyndhurst Road, for example, the fees should not vary by $1,000 or $2,000 (depending on the wrecker operator); there should be standard rates for all parties involved."
In reacting to this proposal, KSAC Town Clerk Lincoln Evans says: "I do agree that some form of standardisation should be pursued where it is practicable. In the past, we met with the Transport Authority towards establishing standard rates. Nothing happened then, but it won't take a Herculean effort to restart the dialogue."
The Transport Authority boss also called for the KSAC and the police to make the public aware of the procedures by which they operate.
Tow-away charges
Transport Authority: $2,750 plus $500 per additional day vehicle is impounded.
KSAC: $4,000 plus $200 per additional day vehicle is impounded.
Police: Fee varies according to the wrecker operator.
