Drivers stumped by secret rules

Copenhagen: Drivers have protested after parking authorities in Copenhagen decided that many of its traffic laws were secret, in defiance of rulings that wardens must explain why they issued tickets.

Traffic wardens refused to tell offenders what rules they broke, claiming that if drivers found out the information they would lose respect for the laws and might try to work around them.

The authority said parking rules were "exempt" from freedom of information laws after large sections of guidance requested by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation were blanked out.

The parliamentary ombudsman had said the rules "did not justify secrecy".