Stabilisation phase at NZTA completed
The NZTA has completed the first phase of its regulatory compliance review, clearing the original backlog of 850 open compliance cases and improving its internal processes.
New general manager Kane Patena, pictured, is now leading regulatory function at the agency, having taken over from law firm Meredith Connell, which was appointed to help lead this department by board chairman Michael Stiassny in October 2018.
Brett Gliddon, acting chief executive office of the NZTA, says Patena is continuing the process of implementing a best practice regulatory model prioritising safety.
“Our new firm, but fair, approach to regulatory compliance ensures those who are responsible for certifying vehicles and running commercial-transport services do the right thing and comply with the rules,” says Gliddon. “We know the majority do a great job, but where we find evidence of operators breaking the rules and compromising safety we hold will them to account.”
The review has seen more than 300 enforcement actions taken against service providers, drivers and transport-service operators that have failed to reach required standards. These have ranged from formal warnings to revoking the right to operate.
“Three hundred actions may sound like a significant number, but context is key – it’s a very small percentage of a huge and critically important industry,” adds Gliddon.
The agency’s regulatory responsibilities include 390,000 class two to five heavy-vehicle licence holders, 45,000 transport-service licences, course provider, more than 8,300 inspectors working at about 3,500 inspecting organisations and a fleet of more than 4.3 million vehicles.
Gliddon continues: “We have achieved a lot in the past seven months and have momentum as we continue this important work. I want to formally welcome Kane to the agency and acknowledge the efforts of Meredith Connell and managing partner Steve Haszard.
“Haszard and his team came in at a challenging time for the agency. They identified and cleared the backlog of files, and significantly improved internal regulatory compliance processes. I also want to thank agency staff who have supported our efforts to be more active in enforcing compliance.”
Meredith Connell will be retained in a legal advisory role as and where needed.
