City says it saw no evidence towing services were same firm

There was nothing to suggest two Metro-branded firms were the same company during a contract competition for towing services in Ottawa, the city says.

In a statement of defence responding to a bid-rigging lawsuit filed by Gervais Motors, the city says that although it has the right to investigate bids it receives, there’s nothing that says it has a duty to launch an investigation.

Gervais claims Ottawa Metro Towing and Recovery Inc. and Metro Towing and Recovery Group Inc. have the same ownership and have colluded to win city towing contracts, while the city has allegedly done nothing about it. The allegations have not been tested by a judge.

There are two tow contracts: one for the bylaw department and one for Ottawa Police Services.

Gervais and Ottawa Metro Towing and Recovery are on the standing-offer contracts for citywide towing for the bylaw department.

For the police towing contract, Ottawa Metro Towing and Recovery has the contract in the east zone and Metro Towing and Recovery Group has the contract for the west zone.

The Metro companies are really the same company and have been colluding to win business from the city, Gervais claims.

However, the city’s statement of defence says the city had no knowledge that the Metro companies were allegedly under the same ownership.

“The bids submitted by OttawaMetro and Metro-Towing were compliant on their face and the city had no duty to investigate,” the city’s statement of defence says.