Access to Driver Data speeds up checking process, but comes with a heavy price tag
An online service for businesses to check driver data in real time has been launched by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Named Access to Driver Data (ADD), it went live on 1 June and is open to businesses with a legitimate interest that have obtained consent from the relevant driver.
It joins existing services that allow companies to find driver data through commercial intermediaries, the DVLAs’ premium rate phone line or by writing to the agency; but provides a more high speed and secure channel for the process.
It works through a dedicated leased line between the user and the DVLA, and costs £25,000-30,000 plus a £6,000 per year line rental to cover installation and the agency’s running costs.
A spokesperson told UKAuthority that a number of licence checking intermediary businesses are already connected, and that there has been interest from the vehicle rental industry and some businesses that want to check employees’ driver data.
Road safety
“Access to the service, and therefore the DVLA driver record is dependent on what the data will be used for,” he said. “Typically this will be for the purposes of road safety which is compatible with the reason the data was captured for in the first place.”
A driver has to give their consent for the organisation, either signing a Driving Licence Consent Form or using one of the electronic channels approved by the DVLA.
“DVLA will audit the business/organisation to ensure that consent was obtained prior to the check being made,” the spokesperson said.
The DVLA said that tachograph and driver qualification card information is not available through ADD, but that it is considering including it in the future.
“ADD is a service we’re offering to organisations that demonstrate a business need for our driving licence data,” the DVLA said in announcing the service. “This service will provide real time driving licence data through a business-to-business interface for individual record checks, with drivers’ consent.”
It added that it is looking at the possibilities for other data checking services to work within the assurance framework.
Picture from Pushcreativity, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 through Wikimedia
