Tow operator urges council to review towing and vehicle-for-hire rules; staff agrees to revisit ordinances

Kenneth Crawford, a local tow-company owner, told the Shreveport City Council the municipal ordinance governing towing and storage (he cited chapter/section 102) imposes yard, fence and building requirements that make it costly for tow operators to be on the city rotation while central storage handles impounded Shreveport vehicles.

Crawford said tow companies must maintain fenced, lighted yards and other infrastructure to be eligible for the Shreveport rotation, but that Shreveport often requires vehicles to be taken instead to a central-storage facility rather than to the tow company’s yard. He described the requirement as expensive and inequitable compared with neighboring jurisdictions where tow operators can store vehicles at their own yards.

Crawford asked the council to either remove the yard requirement or permit companies that meet other standards to remain on the rotation without maintaining a separate storage yard, and he also urged review of the vehicle-for-hire permit framework and background-check requirements, suggesting inconsistencies between taxi/for-hire regulation and app-based drivers.

Council members said the public-safety committee had planned to review towing and vehicle-for-hire rules and that staff would bring the ordinances back for consideration. City staff asked Crawford to provide highlighted sections of the ordinance so staff could review them; Crawford said he would scan and email the portions he flagged.

Why it matters: Changes to towing and vehicle-for-hire regulations could affect operating costs for local towing firms, how impounded vehicles are stored and the scope of background-checks for drivers; council members agreed that a review was warranted.

No formal ordinance change was adopted at the meeting; council members asked staff to place the items on a future committee agenda.