The Freight Transport Association has urged the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for tighter controls on the release of vehicle keeper data from the UK vehicle register.

The FTA is specifically requesting greater clarity surrounding the issue of releasing detailed information, including the name and address of the registered keeper of the vehicle, to any person shown to have 'reasonable cause'.

Ian Gallagher, driver licensing and vehicle registration policy manager, said: “We believe that the regulations could be changed to incorporate a definition of 'reasonable cause' without leaving the door open to those individuals and bodies that may wish to abuse the system.

“The current provision exists for the release of information to those who are able to satisfy DVLA that they have 'reasonable cause'.

“FTA believes that the 'reasonable cause' provision in the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) 2002 regulations should continue to cater for requests for information from individuals or bodies that are unable to use the enforcement services to carry out investigations on their behalf.

“However, if it could be argued that a regulated or a designated body was able to carry out those investigations, for example the police or an insurance company, then individual access should not be granted to information contained on the register.

The FTA is calling for a continuation the approved conditional access and case-by-case system, with the introduction of appropriate auditing and management checks to regularly monitor users.

FTA officials have submitted a list of the types of organisations they believe should be granted access to vehicle register details, in addition to the police, HM Revenue & Customs, local authorities and other enforcement agencies.

These include vehicle manufacturers, finance companies, insurance companies, solicitors and approved parking companies.

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