Significant boost in dodgy warrants

That's almost double the number already revealed, after warnings went out to nearly 5,500 vehicles from two suspended garages.

Law firm Meredith Connell has completed its review into the most urgent open regulatory compliance files, leading to a significant increase in action and enforcement taken by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA).

“Significant progress has been made and reviews completed of the most urgent files where public safety was potentially at risk. We have provided recommendations to the Transport Agency. On the basis of these recommendations and following legal processes the Transport Agency is stepping up enforcement action for non-compliance across all regulatory areas for which it has responsibility,” said managing partner of Meredith Connell Steve Haszard.

“This work provides reassurance to New Zealanders that this review is prioritising safety for vehicle owners and road users. The NZTA is working hard to put things right.”

Most recently, the NZTA began contacting around 10,000 New Zealanders whose vehicles may not have been properly checked during their regular warrant of fitness inspection.

“This includes these vehicle owners having their vehicles re-checked free of charge via a Transport Agency voucher,” said Haszard.

Enforcement actions will become increasingly visible to the public in the coming weeks as further legal and other processes are continued. This will happen on a rolling basis.

“These actions do take time as we are legally bound to follow due process. For example, in some complex cases further investigation is required to meet evidentiary requirements or there are legal processes underway which need to run their course,” said Haszard.