International Law

DVLA still selling drivers names and addresses to dodgy Private Wheel Clampers, according to The Times

The Times reports that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is still selling your private name and address details to dodgy Private Wheel Clamping companies, despite their previous promises, after the previous scandal hit the media back in 2005.

See the previous Spy Blog article and comments: DVLA database details sold to criminals - implications for the proposed National Identity Register

DVLA is selling drivers' details to rogue wheel-clamping companies

Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent

The DVLA is selling drivers' names and addresses to clamping companies that break industry rules by charging drivers more than £500 for minor parking breaches, an investigation by The Times has established.

The agency made more than £4 million last year by selling the details of 1.6 million drivers. It sold 900 names and addresses to Newline Securities and Parking Control Management, both of which have repeatedly double-charged drivers for parking breaches and inflated bills by adding spurious charges.

[...]

The agency has continued to sell drivers' details to the companies despite being aware of their behaviour. This contradicts the agency's claim that it carefully vets companies seeking access to the vehicle register. The agency also claims that it denies access to companies that have breached the industry code on parking enforcement.

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The DVLA claims that there are safeguards covering each approach. Companies seeking automatic access must sign up to the British Parking Association's (BPA) self-governing industry code.

[...]

However, The Times has obtained evidence that the BPA fails to enforce its code and ignores evidence of breaches by its members, including Newline and PCM.

The owner of PCM, David Blake, sits on the BPA panel, which is supposed to ensure fair treatment for drivers.

That looks like a conflict of interest.

[...]

The BPA has admitted that PCM and Newline breached its code but it is refusing to suspend or expel either company.

The DVLA states on its website that "failure to comply [with the BPA code] could result in suspension and expulsion, and mean that they could no longer apply for information from the DVLA vehicle record".

[...]

Remember that there are plans to make your Driving Licence into a Designated Document for the purposes of the National Identity Register.

If the DVLA is ever allowed access to the NIR, then it is clear that all that information will simply be sold, in bulk, without any proper checks, to criminals or disreputable companies.

Full post as published by Spy Blog on June 06, 2009 (boomark / email).