Moves to regulate clamping a good start, says Consumer NZ

Tess Nichol

Consumer New Zealand says moves to regulate wheel clamping are better than nothing, following confirmation from the Government they are working on legislation.

Chief executive Sue Chetwin said she would prefer the practice be banned outright, a step the Government is unlikely to take.

“Nevertheless I applaud the Government for doing something be- cause we’ve been banging on about this for years.”

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said on Monday officials were in the final stages of drafting recommendations, which would be taken to Cabinet to be signed off.

The most likely option for regulation was introducing a cap on the amount a private parking enforcement company could demand from a motorist who has had their wheel clamped. “When people are being asked for hundreds of dollars instantly or they won’t get their car that’s when people are getting understandably angry,” Faafoi said.

The Minister said he was conscious of fine tuning the balance between the rights of property owners and motorists, and was therefore unlikely to call for a total ban of the controversial practice.

Chetwin said she would still prefer to see a full ban, because the organ- isation’s position was still that the controversial practice was wrong.

“Nevertheless, if there was going to be a cap . . . that would be better than what’s going on now where the consumer has virtually no rights.”

The AA’s Mark Stockdale has also said the organisation’s preference would be banning the practice, as the current voluntary code of conduct wasn’t addressing ongoing problems.

“Even if they were required to meet similar standards as the tow truck industry that would be a start.”

Within the industry, a staffer at one Auckland towing and clamping company said he welcomed regulation and thought a cap on clamping fees was reasonable.

The man asked not to be named, but provided comment as the company’s boss was currently overseas and couldn’t be reached.

The Government has not yet indicated what the fee might be capped at.