Vehicle registration overhaul urged

Plans are being drawn up to stop thieves and others from misusing the vehicle registration system.

The Automobile Association told a Parliamentary committee in June that thieves were using the register to target people and the Transport Ministry has also highlighted problems.

The ministry said car thieves and others were targeting people by getting their details off the Transport Ministry registrar, which is run by government agency Land Transport New Zealand.

Details of more than eight million vehicle owner records were available to the public for a small charge - $2.25.

Direct marketers were the biggest users of the register, which Cabinet briefing papers said caused resentment from people who were then targeted by advertisers.

Car thieves and stalkers have used the register to track people or target their vehicles and angry motorists have used it to trace the driver of the other vehicle in road incidents.

The Minister for Transport Safety, the Privacy Commissioner and the Registrar of Motor Vehicles have all received complaints about the register.

The Privacy Commissioner has called for a ban on release of personal information from public registers for commercial purposes.

The ministry said in response to the problems a Cabinet paper has been drafted proposing an access regime protecting personal information from use for commercial or criminal purposes.

The access regime recognised that some forms of public disclosure are beneficial such as by insurance companies, for pursuing an insurance claim and by solicitors for pursuing civil claims.

- NZPA