Warning of fatal consequences on major roads if breakdown industry doesn't receive a financial fix

"Statutory fees are set by the Home Office but like all other forces, Hampshire Constabulary oversees the management of contracts with recovery operators in our force area.

 "We have agreed some cost sharing revisions recently to take account of the changing environment.

 "Financial arrangements have to be made based upon estimates but if there were any surplus made by the Constabulary, the funds would be reinvested back into the Safer Roads Unit to improve road safety for the benefit of all road users."

Surrey and Sussex Police run a joint vehicle recovery scheme (JVRS), and a contract is in place that all other forces can call off from.Vehicle recoveries are contracted out to the AA to manage on our behalf. The AA manages the vehicle recovery operators who complete the recoveries for both forces.The finances for each recovery is determined by the individual circumstances of the case and the type of vehicle being recovered.The AA carries out its own procurement process to recruit vehicle recovery operators (VROs). The VROs are given full information on the fees they will receive for recoveries.The figures shown on the Freedom of Information request are a monthly management fee that is claimed from the AA by the JVRS team.There is a requirement for the police to manage certain data that is sensitive. For example, gaining registered keeper details using PNC data. This data is shared with the VRO’S via the vehicle recovery management system, ELVIS.There are certain elements of the process from recovery to the return or disposal of vehicles that only the police can authorise.For that reason we have to resource this to enable the process to be effective and efficient.The monthly management fee charged to the AA is to pay the salaries only for those staff, bearing in mind this fee covers both forces in Surrey and Sussex.In essence we are cost neutral for both forces.The ethos for both forces has always been to cover our costs, passing on as much of the fee as possible to the operators through the AA managing agents.As can be seen in the FOI request, Surrey and Sussex were one of very few schemes that waived any management fees through the pandemic in April and May 2020 to ensure more funds went to the VRO’s in this difficult period.Surrey and Sussex Police are aware of no formal complaints from VROs about the costs and have always considered VROs as key partners in the Recovery Scheme.We work closely with them every day and meet with management representatives regularly.Almost all of our VROs have been working with Surrey and Sussex Police for 20 years or more and we are proud of how we have developed the service with them and the managing agent (AA) collectively.We also take an active role in regional and national work and welcome a formal Home Office review of the statutory fees for Vehicle Recovery which were last set in 2008.

Surrey and Sussex Police run a joint vehicle recovery scheme (JVRS), and a contract is in place that all other forces can call off from.Vehicle recoveries are contracted out to the AA to manage on our behalf. The AA manages the vehicle recovery operators who complete the recoveries for both forces.The finances for each recovery is determined by the individual circumstances of the case and the type of vehicle being recovered.The AA carries out its own procurement process to recruit vehicle recovery operators (VROs). The VROs are given full information on the fees they will receive for recoveries.The figures shown on the Freedom of Information request are a monthly management fee that is claimed from the AA by the JVRS team.There is a requirement for the police to manage certain data that is sensitive. For example, gaining registered keeper details using PNC data. This data is shared with the VRO’S via the vehicle recovery management system, ELVIS.There are certain elements of the process from recovery to the return or disposal of vehicles that only the police can authorise.For that reason we have to resource this to enable the process to be effective and efficient.The monthly management fee charged to the AA is to pay the salaries only for those staff, bearing in mind this fee covers both forces in Surrey and Sussex.In essence we are cost neutral for both forces.The ethos for both forces has always been to cover our costs, passing on as much of the fee as possible to the operators through the AA managing agents.As can be seen in the FOI request, Surrey and Sussex were one of very few schemes that waived any management fees through the pandemic in April and May 2020 to ensure more funds went to the VRO’s in this difficult period.Surrey and Sussex Police are aware of no formal complaints from VROs about the costs and have always considered VROs as key partners in the Recovery Scheme.We work closely with them every day and meet with management representatives regularly.Almost all of our VROs have been working with Surrey and Sussex Police for 20 years or more and we are proud of how we have developed the service with them and the managing agent (AA) collectively.We also take an active role in regional and national work and welcome a formal Home Office review of the statutory fees for Vehicle Recovery which were last set in 2008.

‘Charges apply when a vehicle is seized by the police or recovered on behalf of members of the public. The statutory fees for recovery, storage and disposal are set by the Home Office under the Removal, Storage and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 2008. These charges vary according to the size and condition of the vehicle.

‘Any decision to amend these fees would need to be made by government.’

Did not provide a comment.

The amount of money received by the police is calculated to cover the costs of the Force in providing the recovery scheme. 

The scheme is administered by AADL, who determines, in liaison with us and the garages, what the anticipated demand for the year is likely to be, and the costs of each – and their own costs - in delivering against that predicted demand. AADL then determines a management fee to be deducted from the statutory recovery charge based on their forecast costs and the costs of the Force. Of this management fee, an amount is paid to the Force as a referral fee to cover predicted costs, with the remainder being retained by AADL. The balance of the statutory charge is retained by the garages.

The statutory charge has not been changed since 2008. The statutory fee is currently under review and is in a consultation phase with Government.