Extension of free WOFs to fix dodgy tests

The New Zealand Transport Agency is giving thousands of motorists with dodgy warrants of fitness (WOFs) another two months to get free rechecks for their vehicles.

As of January 9, about 20,000 vehicle owners had ignored requests to get free WOF retests, and of the 4000 who had done so, 60 per cent failed their first reinspection.

The agency cannot legally compel owners to take advantage of the free WOFs, but it is trying to boost the response rate by extending the expiry date of all unused WOF vouchers until March 31.

The recall was ordered after law firm Meredith Connell uncovered major deficiencies in the agency’s enforcement work.

Some garages were using unqualified staff to do vehicle inspections and were failing to do basic safety checks on lights, tyres, brakes and seatbelts.

Meredith Connell was engaged late last year to review 850 outstanding compliance files and it has since taken 141 compliance actions.

Most involved transport service licence holders, including drivers and businesses, but about 40 vehicle inspectors and inspecting organisations also faced action, with 25 being suspended.

The majority of the garages and inspectors stopped from issuing WOFs were in Auckland, and the transport agency immediately began tracking down vehicle owners with the offer of free retests.

The cost of the whole exercise has topped $1 million.