MOTORWEB SERVICES LTD MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 4 October 2007 For Immediate Release

Motorweb Cautiously Welcomes Land Transport Amendment Bill

MotorWeb Services Ltd, the award-winning information provider delivering online services to the motor industry including as an agent for Land Transport New Zealand, has cautiously welcomed the Land Transport Amendment Bill tabled in Parliament by Transport Minister Annette King yesterday but is concerned that the process to ensure its continued access to the Motor Vehicle Register (MVR) may be inefficient.

MotorWeb Managing Director Chris Knight said the company accepted most of the Government's proposals for change.

"Clearly, the Government is determined to stop individuals from being able to obtain personal information from the Motor Vehicle Register (MVR) through their local Post Shop and also wants to stop direct-marketing companies from using the register to promote their products," he said.

"We accept that entirely, and we are also pleased that Mrs King's comments yesterday and the explanatory note to the Bill suggest that the Government recognises that it is essential for the safety, security, legal compliance and efficiency of the motor vehicle industry for motor vehicle dealers to continue to have access to the information on the MVR through the MotorWeb system. This is why the Bill provides for the Minister of Transport to allow continuing access to companies such as ours that provide services that are consistent with the purposes of the register."

Mr Knight said MotorWeb had offered its service to the motor vehicle industry since 2000 and had met over a million requests for information in that time.

"In the seven years we have been operating, there has never been any issue with confidentiality arising from our service, there has never been a complaint about our service, and our service has received plaudits from the New Zealand Police for assisting them in combating crime," he said.

"The Government appears to have recognised that and is clearly not interested in disrupting our service.

"Nevertheless, we are concerned that the process proposed by the Bill for us to continue to have access may be overly bureaucratic and uncertain and we will be urging that these problems be addressed during the Select Committee process next year. It would be better for the Bill to make absolutely clear that services such as ours are consistent with the purposes of the MVR and that - subject to providing assurances of security and confidentiality - we will continue to have automatic access to the register. This would provide greater stability and confidence across the whole industry."

The confidential and secure MotorWeb service is used by the majority of Registered Motor Vehicle Traders in New Zealand to assist them with vehicle checking and legal compliance, and to facilitate the efficient buying and selling of motor vehicles as an agent for Land Transport New Zealand. The company is 100% New Zealand owned and operated and won Computerworld's eBusiness of the Year Award in 2003.

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