The government is updating penalties for transport operators who exceed vehicle height, length and weight limits.
Transport Minister Simon Bridges has introduced the Land Transport Amendment Bill to Parliament to modernise regulation of small passenger services, update rules for heavy vehicles and improve road safety.
The Bill will make technical amendments that relate to heavy vehicles.
The amendments follow recent changes to improve heavy vehicle productivity, updating penalties for operators who exceed vehicle height, length and weight limits.
“The Land Transport Amendment Bill will overhaul key areas of transport law to modernise the sector and make travelling more efficient and safer,” says Bridges.
“Changes to the small passenger service rules will simplify requirements to accommodate new business models,” he says.
“The amendments will reduce compliance costs allowing taxis, private hire vehicles and shuttles the flexibility to be innovative while maintaining the safety of the passenger, drivers, and vehicles,” says Bridges.
It also aims to improve safety by simplifying the law relating to alcohol interlocks, and creating more effective deterrents to drivers fleeing from police.
“Alcohol interlocks are a highly useful tool for reducing drink-driving,” says Bridges.
“The amendments contained in the Bill are expected to result in greater use of alcohol interlocks by high-risk offenders and recidivist drink-drivers,” he says.
“It also proposes to increase the penalties for drivers who fail to stop for the police to up to 2 years’ disqualification from driving, and strengthens the power of courts to confiscate the vehicles of repeat offenders,” says Bridges.
Enforcement officers will also receive new powers to address fare evasion on public transport.
“Reducing fare evasion makes sure public transport operators receive all the revenue they are entitled to, and that all passengers pay their fair share,” says Bridges.
The Bill also contains a range of minor technical amendments.
