City Council adopted uniform rates for all towing companies that work in Pittsburgh 10 years ago, but too many operators either don't know what they are or deliberately ignore them.

When Post-Gazette reporter Vivian Nereim last week asked a sampling of companies how much it would cost to retrieve a passenger car that had been towed from a private lot, she was quoted rates from $95 to $220. The correct answer: $110.

The fee is set in the city code, as are other restrictions including a provision that prohibits the charging of storage fees for the first 12 hours and limits them to $9 per day for the first three days and $18 per day thereafter. The regulations specify that owners may use credit cards and should not be required to pay in cash to retrieve their cars. The same rules also give the towing companies flexibility for special circumstances; they have discretion to assess hourly labor charges if vehicles are badly damaged or in locations that require special equipment to get them out.

City Councilman Doug Shields has heard enough complaints from residents like the one from a South Side woman, who was charged $170 after her car was towed from a private lot during last week's snowstorms. Mr. Shields said he will introduce legislation soon that would require private companies and tow truck drivers to register for a city license so officials can keep better track of their operations.

Outside the city boundary, the situation is no better. State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, a Penn Hills Democrat, has introduced a bill in Harrisburg that would regulate private tow operators on a statewide basis, although it would not set fees. House Bill 2041 would restrict tow companies from removing vehicles from accident scenes unless their owners or police request it; forbid them from demanding that owners submit to repairs or authorize storage in excess of 24 hours as a condition of getting their vehicles back; require them to notify owners, when they can be determined, of the tow within 24 hours; and obligate them to publicly display their fees and hours of operation.

Consumer protection is at the heart of both the proposed city ordinance and the proposed state Towing Standards Act. Lawmakers on council and in the Legislature should stand strong with Pennsylvania's vehicle owners and enact them.

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