An independent review of the Transport Agency is critical of how it has regulated the transport sector.

The review was done by Martin Jenkins.

The Government says it intends to act swiftly to strengthen NZTA’s regulatory role following a review into the Transport Agency, and Ministry of Transport’s performance as its monitor.

“It found that previous transport ministers had directed NZTA to focus on ‘building roads’ at the expense of keeping people safe,” Transport Minister Phil Twyford says.

“Safety is our Government’s top transport priority and we’re getting the Transport Agency back on track,” he says.

The Government is adopting all the review’s recommendations and will implement them as soon as possible, including:

• Creating a statutory Director of Land Transport who is responsible for carrying out the NZTA’s regulatory functions and powers,
• Getting the NZTA Board to develop a new regulatory strategy,
• Instructing the Ministry of Transport to update the NZTA’s regulatory objectives, functions and powers, and
• Injecting up to $45 million into NZTA’s regulatory function.

Mr Twyford says the Transport Agency has made good progress in the past year but these new changes, coupled with recent Board appointments, will make sure it will be a modern regulator, equipped for the massive changes the sector will undergo in coming years.

"The Board has been bolstered by new member Catherine Taylor who is an experienced regulator, brings risk management expertise and has worked for other Crown agencies and government departments.

“The review also found the Transport Ministry has now improved its monitoring approach after taking a light touch under the last government. I expect the Ministry to take a more active approach to overseeing all our transport agencies,” Phil Twyford says.

As part of the work to ensure the Agency is a modern regulator, the Government is also investigating designating NZTA as a health and safety regulator, and options to strengthen commercial vehicle enforcement. This work and the other recommendations will be completed by early next year.

The Ministry of Transport Chief Executive Peter Mersi has welcomed the report.

All other relevant reports and documentation is available here.