Online rego service saves time and money
THERE are savings to be had by relicensing vehicles online, but the biggest bonus is probably the convenience of the system.
The New Zealand Transport Agency will be offering cheaper fees to people who relicense vehicles online from October 1, with vehicle owners saving about $3 if they pay the licence fee through the NZTA website.
NZTA access and use group manager Celia Patrick says that for people who relicense their vehicle only once a year it may not seem like a large saving, but with the agency clocking up 6.2 million licensing transactions in the past year, it will add up to a good-sized cost-saving for the country.
Ms Patrick says it costs $287.75 to relicense a private, petrol-driven car for 12 months, but from October the administration fee component will be cut from $6.40 to $3.57 for those paying over the internet, giving a saving of $2.83.
The NZTA has been offering vehicle owners the option of paying their annual vehicle licensing fee online using a credit card or internet banking since June 2004, but only about 18 per cent of relicensing is being done over the internet, with most people still fronting up to the AA, New Zealand Post or a VTNZ station to get their rego label.
Ms Patrick believes a lack of awareness is behind the slow takeup of the online service, and says the NZTA is looking to publicise it better.
“We certainly want to increase it, because it is a very user friendly and easy way of doing it.”
The NZTA aims to increase the proportion of people using the online service to 70 per cent in the next five years and has begun highlighting the internet service on its website, with the tagline ‘‘save time, get your rego online’’, and is adding a note about online payments to the front of reminder notices.
[People paying online should allow five working days for a new licence label to arrive in the post.]
Vehicles can be licensed for periods of any length, from one day to 15 months, but Ms Patrick says people typically go for three, six, nine or 12-month periods.
In the past 12 months, 29 per cent of vehicles have been relicensed for three months or less and 27 per cent for periods of between three and six months, with most being the 12-month option.
The government is currently considering reforms to the vehicle licensing system. The NZTA is also looking at making it easier for people to pay the fee, and may add more payment options, such as direct debit. To relicense a vehicle online visit: nzta.govt.nz.