"Dude, where’s my car," a question that Philadelphia City Council hopes fewer residents will have to ask come 2017.
In their last council meeting of the year, the Philadelphia City Council passed a "Ticket-to-Tow" bill, 15 to 1. Bill No. 160682 requires cars to be ticketed by one of nine law enforcement agencies before it could be towed by a private company.
"If your car is being towed without a ticket, you have the ability to call the company and we will go after the company and they have to give you your car back," the bill’s sponsor Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez told NBC10.
Many tow truck companies are not happy with the passing of the new bill and protested at City Hall Thursday claiming a few rogue towers shouldn’t result in industry wide regulations.
Tow truck drivers claim that they don’t know who to call to determine if a car is parked illegally and these delays will cost them time and money.
"That’s when Licenses and Inspections needs to step in," said David Wienckowski of Supreme Auto Services. "That’s their job. That’s what they get paid to do. If somebody is overcharging, doing something wrong, you take their license."
Licenses and Inspections doesn’t currently have the means to handle the oversight which is why the city will seek help from a third party.
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The bill even had some initial opponents before a 30-day delay before the law goes into effect was added to the bill.
"The negative few should not put into bankruptcy the legitimate many," Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., an initial opponent, stated.
