Motorbikes out of clean car standard
The Motor Industry Association (MIA) has welcomed an about-face by the government on including mopeds and motorbikes in the clean car standard (CCS).
It describes a decision to include such two-wheelers as “incredulous”, but has now welcomed an announcement by Michael Wood, Minister of Transport, that he will remedy the matter.
The Land Transport (Clean Vehicles) Amendment Act, passed earlier this year, applies to any motor vehicle weighing less than 3,500kg.
It goes on to define vehicles that will incur penalties or earn credits under the CCS as light passenger vehicles and light commercials – namely cars, SUVs, utes and vans. Including mopeds and motorcycles was an inadvertent error that crept into the legislation when it was passed.
“It all comes down to interpretation of the act, and whether the section on the clean vehicle standard only applies to light passenger and commercial vehicles, or all light vehicles,” says David Crawford, pictured, the MIA’s chief executive officer.
“The MIA welcomes the minister’s decision to amend the act under urgency to exclude mopeds and motorcycles from the ambit of part 13 of act – the part that sets out requirements for the CCS.
“The way the act was drafted imposed a bureaucratic encumbrance on importers of mopeds and motorcycles for no outcome. It was a pointless perverse outcome to be required to set up a CO2 account when the CCS only applies to importers of new and used passenger and light commercial vehicles.
“The MIA raised this with the minister in September when officials advised that in their view mopeds and motorbikes were caught by the act. The minister agreed with industry this wasn’t the intention, and we’re grateful he has resolved to amend the act to make parliament’s intention clear and unequivocal.”
The notes to a media release issued by Wood’s office on November 22 state: “The clean car standard covers most light vehicles being imported into New Zealand except for mopeds or motorcycles, which have been excluded.”
