Tracy Kiss sticks it to the DVLA

The Parking Prankster has noticed several new additions to Tracy Kiss's blog on fighting a parking charge from UKPC.

In particular, her new battle against the DVLA reveals what a determined lady can achieve against the turgid bureaucratic behemoth that the DVLA has become. Originally, the DVLA refused to release necessary information which would have allowed Tracy to continue her fight. Instead, they wanted to charge her £5 for the privilege.

They do this, because they are frightened of the amount it will cost them if significant numbers of motorists query them for their right to this information. This email exchange shows their thought processes.

Their new strategy is particularly dimwitted. By changing her request into a formal complaint against the DVLA, the DVLA were finally required to release for free the very information they first refused her. Instead of a relatively cheap enquiry that a DVLA data processing minion could have completed in seconds, it required a prolonged email exchange with 3 DVLA employees; Gregory Evans, Letitia Lloyd and David Dunford.

Tracy has now blazed the way! The Prankster predicted here that the DVLA would have to release the data you were after if you worded your enquiry as a complaint. Tracy has not only proved this to be correct but has shown us all the way to do it.

The Prankster has taken heart from all this. He has had his own FoI request stymied three times while investigating a parking company deliberately issuing out of time parking tickets against himself. He has now followed Tracy's example (and taken his own advice!) and has filed a complaint against the DVLA.

Would you like to know the result? Er...so would The Prankster. Two weeks and three emails into the enquiry and the Prankster has not heard a peep from the DVLA - not even an acknowledgement! Perhaps the DVLA have all gone on holiday? Perhaps they have all resigned and work somewhere else? Perhaps they are all busy answering Tracy Kiss's emails! Anyway, the Prankster will keep you updated once the situation is resolved.

If you read Tracy's blog, don't forget to check out the comments too. The story of Chris, the neighbour of the MD of UKPC, Mr Rupert Williams, sticking all his notices back though his letterbox, is hilarious.

Also see here for the six monthly report from the DVLA chief executive...as it should have been written.

Happy Parking


The Parking Prankster