From May 3 all wheel clampers and vehicle immobilisers (including towing-away and blocking vehicles) that operate on private land and charge a fee for release are required to hold a licence issued by the Security Industry Authority (SIA).
Under new SIA regulations vehicle immobilisers are required to undergo an identity and criminal records check and pass a five-day training course to show they have reached training and professional standards. The SIA adds that it will maintain a public register of licensed vehicle immobilisers, their supervisors, managers and directors.
As reported in our February issue, the original February 28 deadline for a clamper (officially called vehicle immobiliser) licence was put off. The SIA reported at that time that Edexcel, the exam awarding body responsible for awarding the level 2 wheel clamper qualification, flagged up late submission of paperwork from some training centres. The SIA has put the number of vehicle immobilisers operating in England and Wales at 2,000. While only a fraction of the door and security guard sectors, which are expected to run into the hundreds of thousands, wheel clamping is an emotive subject among the general public – hence the relatively large general media publicity for this May 3 deadline; and the clamping sector is extremely fragmented, and difficult to reach. Anyone involved in immobilising, towing away or blocking in vehicles on private ground against a release fee will require an SIA licence. There is thus some overlap with other security sectors already requiring, or knowing they will require, a licence. For example, hospital, university and other guard forces clamp vehicles, where car parking is at a premium, whether on the site and-or in the city or town surrounding.
When working vehicle immobilisers will be required to wear their SIA licences, be identifiable and accountable. The terms of the licence state that any vehicle immobiliser must not clamp/block/tow a vehicle if:
– a valid disabled badge is displayed
– the vehicle is a marked emergency service vehicle in use as such.
When a release fee is collected the vehicle immobiliser must provide a receipt which should include:
– location where the vehicle was immobilised
– operative name and signature
– operative SIA licence number; and date.
