NTA recommends stronger deterrents and checks after licence fraud investigation

Association Chief Executive Officer David Boyce.

The New Zealand Trucking Association (Association) has welcomed the announcement from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) confirming that 440 commercial driver licences have been revoked following the discovery of fraudulent activity involving falsified or altered overseas licence conversions.

The Association commends NZTA for the extensive audit and decisive action taken to identify and address this serious issue, which has major implications for public and workplace safety across the transport sector.

Association Chief Executive Officer David Boyce said the revelations reinforce the urgent need for robust systems and ongoing capability checks within the commercial transport industry.

“We strongly support NZTA’s efforts to uphold the integrity of the driver licensing system. Operators also have a critical role to play. Every transport company should have a process in place to verify the capability of their drivers, not just at hiring, but as an ongoing part of business-as-usual safety management,” Dave said.

The Association believes that current penalties do not go far enough to deter fraudulent behaviour and is urging the Government to introduce stronger consequences, including substantially higher fines and potential licence bans for offenders.

“Fraudulent licensing undermines public trust and places everyone on the road at risk. Stronger penalties would send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated,” Dave added.