Dawson Creek, British Columbia — June 18, 2015 — Dawson Creek City Council’s tentative move to allow parked tow trucks in residential areas is moving towards finalization.
As the city works towards the next steps, including council passing first reading, collecting public feedback, and developing a permit process, Exceptional Towing and Recovery Limited’s request to amend the current bylaw—which prohibits vehicles heavier than one tonne to park in residential streets or driveways—is coming closer to fruition.
While some council members have voiced concerns over the proposed amendments, many have taken a more forward-thinking approach.
“I will support it. I think we have to be realistic about what’s happening in our community and we have to be proactive and start thinking into the future and what that’s going to look like,” Councillor Shaely Wilbur said in a 890 CJDC report.
In her original appeal, Exceptional Towing & Recovery representative Wandy Landry told council the province recognizes tow trucks as emergency vehicles, joining the likes of fire trucks, police cars and ambulances, and the company’s RCMP contracted drivers are required to be on the scene of an accident within 15 minutes.
“We need to be able to respond to emergencies [as] quickly as possible [and] therefore need to have the tow truck parked nearby,” Landry said during the presentation, noting that the heavy duty trucks are the only vehicles capable of hauling the region’s popular pickups.
All Dawson Creek-based towing companies holding a business license will be notified if and when the amendments are approved.
