Free Flow not eflow

national | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Wednesday February 04, 2009 18:36 by Mik Wilde wildemik at yahoo dot co dot uk

Is the use of intrusive technology like that used by BetEire to track who is using the M50, when they used it and to extort payment for usage the first step down the road to where technology of this kind will be used to track and control our every movement?

I recently received a bill to the amount of 6 Euro from a company called BetEire who claim in their letter that they have been appointed to operate the eflow barrier on the M50.

The bill was dated 31/Dec/08. BetEire provided me with pictures of my car and number plate on the date in question just in case there was any doubt

A couple of days later I received another extortionist letter from BetEire informing me that my fine had been increased to 46 Euro due to non payment of the original amount within the allocated 14 days.

This second letter also threatens a further increase in the fine and legal proceedings if the fine is not paid within 56 days.

I did not receive the first letter until way after the 14 days had passed, the delay in my receiving the first letter I cannot explain, perhaps BetEire waited until the 14 days had passed before positing it.

I have entered BetEire's appeals process which no doubt means they will reject the appeal and apply the fine.

The thing that interests me here is that BetEire had access to private information about me and I presume every other car owner in the country through the Vehicle Licensing Authority. (That is what they told me when I asked as to how they mapped my number plate to my name and address).

There are a few issues in this that are worth exploring

Is it a breach of our civil rights for a government body to make our personal details such as name and address available to a company engaged in commercial activity without first asking our permission?

Is that permission asked and taken by stealth during the process of registering/taxing a car?

Is it against the very spirit of civil rights and liberties to allow a company engaged in commercial activity use technology to track our movements and use the same technology to extort money from us?

Is this use of intrusive technology the first step down the road to where technology of this kind will be used to track our every movement? What next? The banning of certain cars from certain roads. (Maybe North side cars not allowed south of the red cow)

An unrelated but still I believe relevant issue is
Motorists pay enough in taxes (VRT, VAT on petrol insurance etc) to pay for the M50 and every road in the country many times over without this pay per use of the M50 been operated by BetEire and its intrusive technology.

Just wondering has there every been any debate on these issues and what if anything can we do to make the M50 and all roads free flow not e flow