Minister eyes transport rules shake-up

The government has announced plans to make sweeping changes to New Zealand’s land transport rules, including the possibility of new safety requirements for imported vehicles.

The raft of reforms is expected to be tackled over the next 18 months and features reviewing the frequency of warrant of fitness (WOF) and certificate of fitness (COF) inspections for light vehicles. 

Chris Bishop, Minister of Transport, announced the proposals on June 19 and says they will increase productivity and efficiency.

“Land transport rules set out how different sectors of the transport industry must operate,” he says.

“They impact all road users – from the suburban mum or dad who has to get a warrant of fitness every year no matter how new or well-maintained their car, to the truckies who’ve been loaded up with compliance costs due to rules long since made redundant through advances in technology. 

“Right now the rules system is overly cumbersome to update and creates a substantial administrative burden for New Zealand businesses trying their best to operate safely, legally and efficiently.”

Bishop, pictured, adds the current rules are “full of nonsensical or outdated requirements”, such as the Road User Rule not permitting e-scooters to use cycle lanes or young children to ride their bikes on the footpath. 

“Several rules require hard copy letters to be posted instead of sending emails, which last year alone resulted in 14 million hard copy letters, reminders and labels being posted at a cost to the taxpayer of $16.8 million,” he continues. 

“While some of these letters will still need to be printed and posted, the rules reform programme will make it possible for many of these services to be modernised.”

The minister notes work has already begun on potentially reducing how often private motorhomes and vintage cars and motorcycles need to renew their WOF or COF. 

He says the “same common-sense approach” is now being applied to other transport rules with most decisions on the reforms expected to be made over the next 18 months.

The land transport rules reform programme includes seven streams of work:

• Reducing the frequency of vintage vehicle and motorhome WOF and COF inspections.

• Considering additional safety requirements for vehicle imports, including a possible phased introduction.

• Reviewing WOF/COF frequency and inspection requirements for light vehicles.

• Simplifying heavy vehicle driver licencing, weight thresholds, and freight permitting to improve efficiency and productivity for the freight sector.

• Enabling digital driver licences and, digital alternatives to WOF/COF/rego stickers, allowing NZTA to electronically collect, store and send regulatory notices, enabling online theory tests, and simplifying identification requirements for NZTA customers.

• Improving lane use and use of traffic control devices, and minor system improvements, which will include enabling e-scooters in cycle lanes and children to ride bikes on footpaths, minimum overtaking gaps when passing cyclists, horses etc, and requiring vehicles to give way to buses exiting bus stops.

• Overhauling the vehicle regulatory system to make it more efficient, effective and adaptable, including simplifying and refocusing import requirements and streamlining recognition of overseas standards.

Bishop notes the work delivers on commitments made in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport and the Road Safety Objectives document.

They vowed to review the vehicle regulatory system to improve safety, reduce regulatory burden, and ensure domestic rules are fit for purpose, investigate the WOF system to more effectively and efficiently target risk, and investigate new safety requirements for vehicles entering the fleet.

“The programme includes some longer-term pieces of work that will not be complete within the 18 months, such as overhauling the vehicle regulatory system to reduce complexity and better align with other jurisdictions’ requirements,” he adds. 

“Another longer-term piece of work will be reviewing the vehicle dimension and mass rule because requirements have not kept up with changes in the international automotive industry.”

Public consultation on additional safety requirements for imports, changes to WOF and COF inspection requirements and frequency for light vehicles, and changes to freight permitting requirements will begin in October 2025.

This is expected to be followed by consultation in early 2026 on possible changes to licence weight thresholds, enabling a digital driver licence, digital documents, and e-servicing, and improving lane use and use of traffic control devices.

Initial consultation on overhauling the vehicle regulatory system is planned for mid-2026.