NZ Transport Agency


The NZ Transport Agency is a New Zealand Crown entity tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, including the responsibility for driver and vehicle licensing, and administering the New Zealand state highway network. It was created on 1 August 2008 by the Land Transport Management Amendment Act 2008, merging Transit New Zealand with Land Transport New Zealand. Its legal name, as established by the Act, is New Zealand Transport Agency, but it operates as NZ Transport Agency. Its Māori name, Waka Kotahi, means "one vessel" and is intended to convey the concept of "travelling together as one".

Public data access

The Transport Agency stores registration, licensing and warrant of fitness details for any road-registered vehicle within New Zealand, including cars, motorbikes, trailers, trucks and earthmoving/agricultural machinery. Any member of the public can query the Transport Agency's database by making a request using the licence plate or VIN number at an NZ Post outlet, or by using a vehicle checking website.

Road signage

fall under the authority of the Transport Agency and are prescribed in the Traffic Control Devices Manual.

Awards

The Transport Agency has been recognised, alongside its partners, by industry and professional bodies for innovation and best practice. Some of the awards received include:
The initial Transport Agency board was criticised by the National Party-led opposition in July 2008 as being "stacked" with political appointees of the Labour Party-led government. A National Party-led government was formed after the general election later in 2008, and a number of board members were reappointed or replaced.

Board resignations

In January 2019, three members of the board of directors resigned, about six weeks after the resignation of Chief Executive Fergus Gammie. They were Adrienne Young-Cooper, Chris Ellis and Fran Wilde. Minister of Transport Phil Twyford said the agency had been "going through a massive change process", with its compliance work in the issuing of vehicle Warrant of Fitnesses under review.
Mark Ratcliffe, former head of telco Chorus, was appointed Interim Chief Executive.
On 26 April 2019, chairman Michael Stiassny announced his resignation. On 11 June 2019, Brian Roche commenced his second term as chairman of the NZ Transport Agency; Roche had previously been the inaugural chairman from 2008.