VIA reminder on compliance
The Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (VIA) has provided its members with a reminder about the compliance process for class changes, particularly 14-seat vans being converted to 12-seaters.
VIA says the NZTA has recently emphasised to vehicle-inspecting organisations and inspectors of its preferred approach to the process, and the association believes the wider industry should also understand the requirement.
The transport agency has clarified that used imports must first be assessed as per the description on their Japanese deregistration papers. This means 14-seaters must be presented for the compliance process as an MD2 class vehicles, using an 80kg per-seat calculation.
“We suggest importers, through their service provider, request the NZTA review the chassis rating before presenting the vehicle for compliance as the actual gross vehicle mass [GVM] will be higher than what’s shown on the Japanese export certificate,” says VIA in its alert of September 17.
“This should provide more flexibility during the compliance process. If the vehicle fails the weight-capacity test with 14 seats, importers can ask their compliance service provider to seek permission from the NZTA to remove two seats and process the vehicle as a 12-seat MD1 class using a 68kg per passenger calculation.
“We understand that, generally, the NZTA can grant this permission within a reasonable timeframe.
“Please work closely with your compliance service provider to explore these options if your vehicle does not initially meet the weight-capacity requirements.
“You should also be familiar with the GVM of the models of vehicles you are sourcing from Japan to be comfortable they will meet requirements under New Zealand's heavier per-passenger calculation – New Zealand’s 80kg versus Japan’s 55kg for MD2 vehicle sonly.”
Working with the NZTA
It was on September 6 that the association issued an alert headed “retraction and apology”.
This stated: “On August 29, VIA sent a closed-list email to its members advising them of a renewed focus from the NZTA on the compliance of 12-seater vans that were previously 14-seater vans. The email included a report we had received about the revocation of WOF labels on such vans.”
The alert went on to say: “The concerns in that email were the subject of news reporting.” That contents of that email were not reported on by Autofile, but a different media outlet or other outlets.
“Following constructive discussions with the agency, we have learned the information reported to us was incorrect,” stated VIA in that alert. “To clarify, at no time did NZTA officials enter onto a dealer premises and remove WOF labels.
“VIA retracts and disavows that report in our email. We apologise unreservedly to the NZTA’s safer vehicles team, and especially the border and entry group, for any problems caused by that misreporting.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the agency on matters relating to the entry-compliance process and vehicle standards.”
