Local Transport Bill 2008 Gains Royal Assent

Item Added 08 December 2008

Long awaited London Transport Act 2008 enables DVLA to receive and share foreign vehicle data

The Local Transport Bill received Royal Assent on 27 November 2008 and is now in force.

Among its powers it gives the DVLA, operating on behalf of the UK government, the ability to receive foreign vehicle keeper details from overseas registration agencies.

The DVLA can now also share this data with UK organisations such as local authorities and the police for enforcement purposes, as well as with others able to show ‘reasonable cause’.

“This means the legal bar has been removed which prevented DVLA receiving and disclosing foreign vehicle registration information,” explained SPARKS manager Bill Blakemore.

“For example the DVLA can now receive data from RDW, the Dutch licensing agency, or KBA, the German agency, and pass it on to the parking team in an English or Welsh local council for the purposes of enforcing a parking penalty.

“In practice DVLA will need to work with foreign licensing agencies, local authorities and third party suppliers to bring this act to life.

“It will also need cooperative agreements with the various registration agencies to enable foreign vehicle data to flow into the UK.

“Members of the newly formed SPARKS Network are looking forward to working with DVLA and its EU equivalents to facilitate cost effective sharing of this data.”

Sections 129 and 130 of the 2008 ACT are the most relevant sections. They amend the Road Safety Act 2006 by adding a new section 49A, which gives the Secretary of State the new powers.

The original Section 49 of the 2006 Act already gave the government the authority to disclose UK registration data to overseas vehicle registration agencies.

Local Transport Act 2008 – Part 7

Road Safety Act 2006 – Section 49