A formerly free city towing service intended to clear cars from freeways and reduce congestion will cost motorists $50 per tow, Mayor Annise Parker said Thursday.
The changes to the SafeClear program, which began under former Mayor Bill White in 2005, will go before City Council for approval next week and could take effect in June, Parker said.
Roadside services, such as changing a tire, would cost $30.
The city had been paying that $50 per tow. Under Parker's plan, the city's only involvement in the program would be a $100,000 fund, set aside to cover the fees of indigent drivers.
If a driver cannot pay when towed, the car could stay at a storage lot for 48 hours without charge while the owner found the money, Parker said. She acknowledged that loss of revenue to lot operators took time to negotiate.
SafeClear "makes it safe for the motorists who have broken down and it makes it safer for the rest of the traveling public," Parker said. "We believe that this is a much more sustainable program going forward."
Passing the burden to motorists would save the city $3.5 million.
The program otherwise will not change. When a car breaks down in the emergency lane, the city will dispatch a wrecker to tow it from the freeway, with or without the driver's consent.
Parker and Jeanette Rash, of the SafeClear Management Group, a consortium of SafeClear contractors, said they are trying to work with auto clubs and insurers to arrange direct billing so motorists will not have to pay wreckers first and seek reimbursement later.
Houston paid most SafeClear costs with mobility funds it receives from the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Cutting SafeClear costs will let the city use those funds for roads.
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