Waka Kotahi-NZTA is driving in the wrong direction as motorhomes and horse truck owners scramble to meet new modified cab regulations, says National’s Associate Transport spokesperson Barbara Kuriger.

Waka Kotahi’s LT400 ruling in April, which forces the sign-off of a specialist engineer on any cab modifications made since 2005, will cost individual vehicle owners thousands of dollars as the agency tries to apply it retrospectively.

Some cabs will need to be stripped to check components as part of the certificate of fitness process for vehicles heavier than 3.5 tonnes. This includes imported vehicles already certified in their country of origin and new vehicles modified locally.

“Owners are saying they have been quoted upwards of $30,000 to do this work and that specialist engineers are running a mile from doing it. For those that are, the wait times are months – not days or weeks,” says Mrs Kuriger.

“Meanwhile, what are the owners of these vehicles supposed to do?

“Safety is paramount when it comes to vehicles on our roads, and I’d be the first person in line to voice that, but those affected by this ruling have bought these vehicles to use them. Are they to leave them sitting on the driveway or in the shed?

“Waka Kotahi has far better things to do in the transport arena than enforcing the ruling retrospectively, and on new vehicles already certified, by manufacturers.

“By all means make it mandatory for new COFs going forward but not on those already certified here or from overseas. Common sense needs to prevail.”

© Scoop Media