More certifiers pulled after NZTA failed to monitor vehicle compliance companies

In September, Meredith Connell was asked by the NZTA Board to review and strengthen the agency's regulatory capabilities. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Two more heavy vehicle certifiers have been suspended and the certification of 34 heavy vehicle towing connections revoked as lawyers review compliance cases for road safety issues.

NZTA tasked law firm Meredith Connell with assessing 850 cases of compliance after the transport agency failed to properly check the companies that certify vehicles as safe for road use.

Sixty-three of the 152 high priority cases have been reviewed and the tally of heavy vehicle certifiers suspended has risen to four after two more were pulled this month.

Timaru-based certifier Adam McFarlane was suspended on Monday, while Auckland-based Patrick Chu was suspended earlier this month, according to NZTA.

It followed the suspensions of Wellington-based certifier Dick Joyce in June and Nelson-based certifier Peter Wastney last year.

Yesterday, the agency pulled the certification of 34 heavy vehicle towing connections certified by Joyce, leading to four vehicles being taken off the road.

NZ Transport Agency chief executive Fergus Gammie said strong progress had been made in the bid to strengthen the agency's regulatory capabilities.

"Much more work is required.

"It's vitally important we progress this work quickly and comprehensively."

NZTA was working hard to give New Zealanders assurances that the vehicles they share the road with were certified to a high standard and were safe, Gammie said.

"While our focus is on the high priority cases identified by Meredith Connell, we have also been able to progress work on lower priority issues.

"That means a quarter of the 850 total files have now been assessed."

Gammie said the recruitment of commercial transport officers and certification officers to "significantly strengthen our enforcement capability long-term" was under way.