85Duty to give information as to identity of driver, etc. in certain cases.
(1)This section applies to any offence under any of the foregoing provisions of this Act except an offence against any of the following provisions, that is to say, sections 9(9), 17(5), 31(5) (in its application to England and Wales), 77(7) and 80(8).
(2)Where the driver of a vehicle is alleged to be guilty of an offence to which this section applies—
(a)the owner of the vehicle shall give such information as to the identity of the driver as he may be required to give—
(i)by or on behalf of a chief officer of police, or
(ii)in the case of an offence under section 31(3) or against section 42 of this Act, by or on behalf of a chief officer of police or, in writing, by or on behalf of the local authority for the parking place in question; and
(b)any other person shall if required as aforesaid give any information which it is in his power to give and may lead to the identification of the driver.
In this subsection references to the driver of a vehicle include references to the person riding a bicycle or tricycle (not being a motor vehicle), and in relation to parking places designated by virtue of section 35(5) of this Act by an order of the Greater London Council, the reference to the local authority shall be construed as a reference to that Council.
(3)A person who fails to comply with the requirement of subsection (2)(a) above shall be guilty of an offence unless he shows to the satisfaction of the court that he did not know and could not with reasonable diligence have ascertained who the driver of the vehicle, or, as the case may be, the rider of the bicycle or tricycle, was, and a person who fails to comply with the requirement of subsection (2)(b) above shall be guilty of an offence ; and a person guilty of an offence under this subsection shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £50.