I was recently involved in a minor collision with another driver’s car. The other driver was at fault,
so I needed his details to get the cost of my repairs covered. I took photos of the damage to both
cars, and the other driver, somewhat reluctantly, let me hastily photograph his licence plate and
driver licence at the scene.
Unfortunately, I took the photographs so quickly that I didn’t notice that one of them was blurry.
When I returned home, I found that the information on the licence wasn’t clear. I couldn’t make
heads or tails of it, but I needed to give that information to my insurer so that they could pursue
payment for the repairs to my car.
I jumped onto the web, went to the government’s site for legal aid, and discovered that, to pursue
an insurance claim, I’m permitted to contact the transport agency to get the other driver’s private
information.
I called the transport agency’s customer service number and spoke with a delightfully unhelpful
representative. You might have expected that the biggest headache in this story would be the
accident itself, but you’d be wrong.
I told the call-taker what I’d read on the legal aid website and requested the other driver’s details
for insurance purposes. The call-taker told me that no such request is permitted. I referred her to
the legal aid website to verify what I’d read. She jumped onto the website, which steadfastly
backed up my assertion. Rather put-out, the call-taker then appealed to the transport agency’s
own website, which turned out to include the same statement.
Regrouping, the call-taker advised that I needed to make an “informal request.” I asked how I
should do that, and she explained that I needed to telephone the agency to request disclosure of
the private information.
For reasons I still cannot understand, it wasn’t obvious to the call-taker that this very call
appeared to meet the criteria for informal request. I politely explained that I was calling to make
an informal request for information about the driver of the other car involved in a minor accident,
for insurance purposes.
She put me on hold for a few moments, then returned to advise that supervisor had directed her
not to comply with my request, and not to provide the information I needed.
Seemingly without other options, I submitted a formal request for the information, in writing.
Today the transport agency contacted me suggesting that I withdraw the formal request because
it’s unlikely I’ll ever receive the information I need, because the owner of the information has to
agree to release it.
I understand the value of privacy, but where does that leave people in a situation like this? It
seems I either need to pay for my own repairs or call the police. A minor collision hardly seems to
qualify as a criminal matter, but surely the transport bureaucracy is guilty of something?
