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Web Service to return Vehicle details.

  • 07-11-2013 1:22pm
    #1
    nicol
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 385 ✭✭


    Hi,

    just wondering if anyone knows if there is a web service or something similar available to verify if a vehicle registration number is valid?? I know the likes of motorcheck.ie and similar sites have a lookup facility that returns vehicle details, as does https://www.motortax.ie/PSE/pseVehicleSearch.do. Ideally I'd call the webservice passing a registration number and it would return basic details on the vehicle in question, if found.

    EDIT: I know there are paid services available, is there a FREE service though??

    Cheers in advance.


Comments

  • #2
    oscarBravo
    Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 28,820 Mod ✭✭✭✭oscarBravo


    nicol wrote: »
    Hi,

    just wondering if anyone knows if there is a web service or something similar available to verify if a vehicle registration number is valid?? I know the likes of motorcheck.ie and similar sites have a lookup facility that returns vehicle details, as does https://www.motortax.ie/PSE/pseVehicleSearch.do. Ideally I'd call the webservice passing a registration number and it would return basic details on the vehicle in question, if found.

    EDIT: I know there are paid services available, is there a FREE service though??

    Cheers in advance.

    I just tried a quick test: 
    curl https://www.motortax.ie/PSE/pseVehicleSearchReceiving.do -d vehicleRegistrationNumber=<my car reg here>
    It returned me the same HTML as if I'd done it online. Parse out the details from the HTML, and you're sorted.


  • #3
    Graham
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 17,642 Mod ✭✭✭✭Graham


    I'd be wary about building a business model or an App around scraping and parsing data from a source which normally charges for access to the same data.

    Scraping data may work initially on a small scale but don't be surprised if the scraper suddenly finds itself blocked with no notice given, or worse, it becomes a legal issue.


  • #4
    nicol
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 385 ✭✭nicol


    I agree, not keen on screen scraping at all.

    I wonder where the likes of motorcheck source their data in the first place. I'd assume it comes from Dept. of Transport but how it served to them, nightly data dump, web service??

    Graham wrote: »
    I'd be wary about building a business model or an App around scraping and parsing data from a source which normally charges for access to the same data.

    Scraping data may work initially on a small scale but don't be surprised if the scraper suddenly finds itself blocked with no notice given, or worse, it becomes a legal issue.


  • #5
    Graham
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 17,642 Mod ✭✭✭✭Graham


    I have a vague recollection of a web service but don't quote me on that. I do remember a couple of older posts here on boards discussing the same thing, might be worth having a quick trawl.


  • #6
    Talisman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,198 ✭✭✭Talisman


    Access to the National Vehicle and Driver File database is what you are looking for - Check Transport.ie.


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  • #7
    nicol
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 385 ✭✭nicol


    Cheers, will get in contact with them regarding access.
    Talisman wrote: »
    Access to the National Vehicle and Driver File database is what you are looking for - Check Transport.ie.


  • #8
    Talisman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,198 ✭✭✭Talisman


    Let us know how you get on.


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