Embattled NZTA boss calls it quits
New Zealand Transport Agency Fergus Gammie has resigned, saying it will allow a review of the organisation to be done ‘‘without any distraction’’.
The agency board accepted his resignation yesterday and he will be gone by the new year.
The announcement comes after mounting concerns over fallout from the agency’s poor enforcement of transport regulations resulting in the recall of almost 20,000 vehicles needing warrant of fitness retests as a growing number of garages and vehicle inspectors were suspended.
Law firm Meredith Connell was appointed to oversee a review of 850 outstanding compliance files including a case where a Dargaville mechanic warranted a car which crashed a short time later, killing a passenger whose seat belt failed.
Minister of Transport Phil Twyford also ordered an external review of the agency by his ministry, and police recently launched an investigation into fraud involving unauthorised access to the agency’s driver licensing register.
Gammie, who took over as chief executive in March 2016, said he was proud of the work he had overseen during his tenure.
It included reopening State Highway 1 from Picton to Christchurch one year after the devastating Kaikoura earthquake and setting NZTA ‘‘on a path towards being a modern multimodal transport agency.’’
However, members of the transport industry were critical of his restructuring moves which they blamed for ‘‘gutting’’ the agency of expertise, leading to lax enforcement of transport regulations.
In a media release about his decision to stand down, Gammie again admitted the agency had been reliant on education and self-regulation rather than focusing attention and resources.
He hoped the board, management team and Meredith Connell would receive full support as they worked to ensure the public had confidence in the agency.