The UK Government’s ‚Check an HGV is ready to cross the border’ service, which is being used by hauliers to apply for Kent Access Permits, currently accepts false vehicle registration numbers and temporary email addresses.
The service went live last week and you can find our guide to it here. For most, the website works without any hiccups and the process is very straightforward.
However, several Twitter users have spotted that the system does not require valid vehicle registration numbers or emails.
As you can see from the Tweet embedded below, the user successfully received a QR code for a Kent Access Permit after typing in a crude comment about the UK Prime Minister in the vehicle registration number box.
In the same Twitter thread, many others can be seen doing the same – only using x-rated language that cannot be repeated on this site.
It turns out the new government website for issuing the Kent Access Permits doesn’t do a good job of checking you’ve entered a valid HGV registration number. pic.twitter.com/lx1WbXZwjq
— Phil Dore (@PhilJDore) December 20, 2020
To check whether this was indeed the case, we went through the registration process using random letters and a fake, temporary email address. The service issued the Kent Access Permit QR code immediately without any problems.
Of course, the main thing is that the system works for the hauliers that use it. Also, it has been pointed out that non-GB registered vehicles operating in the UK will have a number system that differs to the UK one. Therefore, allowing for each and every system would be complex.
However, the lack of an email filtering system could potentially leave the service more vulnerable to a cyber attack. If that in turn caused the service to go down, it would likely cause even more disruption to roads in Kent.