Accident Towing Fees Review 2025

We reviewed the fees charged for vehicle towing and storage after an accident within metropolitan Melbourne. 

Every four years we conduct a review which recommends to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety:

• whether accident towing and storage fees are appropriate
• how and if accident towing and storage fees should be adjusted
• whether the fees for related services (such as salvage) should be regulated.

The minister may only make a determination of fees after receiving a recommendation from us and a separate report from the Secretary, Department of Transport. The minister last made a determination in July 2019.

We assess fees for regular vehicles within metropolitan Melbourne (includes the Mornington Peninsula but excludes the Yarra Ranges). This area is formally known as the 'Melbourne controlled area'.

Heavy vehicle towing fees, licence fees, licence boundaries, the accident allocation scheme and accident towing fees outside the Melbourne controlled area are not within our review scope. 

Final report 

Our final report outlines the basis for our recommendations to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety on accident towing, storage and salvage fees in the Melbourne controlled area.

We recommend:

• Current regulated accident towing fees are appropriate and should only be increased in line with current indexation arrangements (Melbourne Transport consumer price index minus the productivity adjustment factor).
• Current regulated storage fees are appropriate and should only be increased in line with current indexation arrangements (Melbourne Transport consumer price index minus the productivity adjustment factor).
• The default productivity adjustment factor is appropriate and should remain at 0.5 per cent.
• The Minister for Roads and Road Safety should not make a determination on basic salvage fees under section 211 of the Accident Towing Services Act 2007.

Our assessment is primarily based on our benchmarking analysis, industry data and the views of key accident towing industry stakeholders.

Current fees and charges

Regulated accident towing fees are adjusted annually in line with Melbourne transport price movements. Current fees and charges are here: Dept Transport: towing fees.

Got questions?

Contact us and we can help answer your questions about this project.