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Exclusive towing

On July 1, 2021, the SPVM set up 10 exclusive towing zones on its territory. These ten areas aim to protect the safety of drivers who are involved in an accident or whose vehicle breaks down and blocks traffic or is dangerous.

In general, any driver involved in one of these situations (breakdown or accident) must dial 9-1-1. If a police officer is at the scene, he will contact the towing company. If no police officer is at the scene, the driver must dial 9-1-1. The call taker will put the driver in contact with the towing company.

Please find below Frequently Asked Questions, the map of the ten areas and the towing rates according to vehicle type.

This by-law will provide a quality towing service to road users at rates set by the by-law. This meets the recommendations made by the Bureau de l’inspecteur général (BIG) in a report published in 2017.

Frequently Asked Questions

With the introduction of exclusive towing areas of vehicles that block traffic or are dangerous to other drivers from the streets of the Island of Montréal, road users involved in an accident or a breakdown must call the designated exclusive towing company for the sector where the accident happened.

Very important: these exclusive areas do not apply to the expressway network that crosses the Island of Montréal, since it is already covered by the exclusive towing service via *4141.

Here are some questions and answers to help you understand the exclusive towing service from the streets.

1. Who calls the exclusive towing company if I am involved in an accident or if my vehicle breaks down and blocks the public highway or is dangerous?

If a police officer is at the scene, he will contact the towing company. If no police officer is at the scene, you must dial 9-1-1, ant the call taker will put you in contact with the designated towing service.

2. If I call the exclusive towing company because no police officer is present, what number should I dial?

You must dial 9-1-1. The call taker will put you in contact with the designated towing service.

3. If my vehicle breaks down in the entrance to my garage, at the side of a street or in a public or private parking area (e.g.: hospital, shopping centre, train or bus station, restaurant, etc.), should I call an exclusive towing company?

No. The exclusive towing service only applies to vehicles involved in an accident or that have broken down and block traffic or are dangerous.

4. What rates apply to the exclusive towing service?

The rates set by the By-law concerning fees of the urban agglomeration of Montréal. You can view the rates in the “Towing rates” file in this section.

5. Can I ask the exclusive towing company to simply move my vehicle to a safe place so that my private towing company can collect it at my request?

Yes provided that your vehicle is not dangerous to other road users.

6. If the exclusive towing company only moves my vehicle to a safe place, does this rate still apply?

The same rates apply in this case.

7. How can I find out the areas where I must use an exclusive towing company?

You simply need to dial 9-1-1 and the call taker will put you in contact with a designated towing company for the area where you are located.

Nevertheless, you can view the map of the towing areas if you wish to find out the geographical location of these areas.

8. How can I recognize the designated towing company?

The tow truck will be identified by this exclusive orange sticker.

9. Why have these exclusive areas been created?

The goal is to standardize the rates and towing practices for vehicles that block traffic and are dangerous so that road users can enjoy the same quality service.

These changes have been implemented further to the recommendations made by the Bureau de l’inspecteur général on the towing sector published in 2017.
https://www.bigmtl.ca/publications/rapport-sur-lindustrie-du-remorquage-a-montreal-depose-le-24-avril-2017/

10. If my vehicle breaks down in a street in a residential area, which does not disrupt traffic and is not dangerous to other drivers, am I still required to use the exclusive towing service?

No. The exclusive towing service was introduced to swiftly remove vehicles from the streets that are located in a busy place and may consequently cause an accident.

11. If I break down on an expressway which crosses the Island of Montréal, such as the Metropolitan Expressway, Expressway 20 or Boulevard Décarie, do I need to dial 9-1-1 to use the exclusive towing service?

No. You must dial *4141 on the expressways crossing the Island of Montréal.

12. Will the exclusive towing service tow my vehicle to a designated place or can I choose this place?

You retain the right to choose your destination. A distance of 10kms is included in the fee. $3.75/km will be added on top.

Find out more

Towing by law
Exclusive towing ten zones
Towing fees
Regulation on exclusive towing rates (Full version)

Contact us

Phone : 514-872-6531

Email : inspection.remorquage@spvm.qc.ca

Appointment : https://rendezvousirva.spvm.qc.ca/v2/