Changes ahead for WOFs

The Motor Trade Association (MTA) is asking Kiwis to consider the true cost of changing the Warrant of Fitness(WoF) process, which might be much higher than they think.

MTA chief executive Lee Marshall said Government calculations overlook some key factors.
“These changes are presented as a cost-of-living saving for Kiwis,” Marshall said.

“And yes, under the proposed changes, around twenty per cent of vehicle owners might save around $70 for one less warrant a year. But you’ll likely end up paying far more in other costs – larger maintenance and repair bills, insurance, ACC levies and the cost to the taxpayer of increased enforcement and education.

“There’s potentially a human cost too, with the possibility of more harm caused on the roads.”

Under the WoF review, the Government is proposing that new vehicles be issued a WoF for four years (currently three). Vehicles between four and 10 years old would move from annual checks to once every two years, while vehicles over 10 years old would move to annual checks.

Currently, vehicles made before 2000 require a WoF every six months.

Light rental vehicles under five years old would require a Certificate of Fitness (CoF) every year instead of every six months.

“The time given to consult is unreasonably short. Road safety matters. The country’s road toll is very poor by developed nation standards, and our fleet is the second oldest in the OECD,” Marshall said.

The failure rate for WoF is 41 per cent with the existing rules, and at any given time, there are over half a million vehicles on the road without a valid WoF.

“Not only do we have high failure rates, but we evidently also do a poor job enforcing the laws we already have,” Marshall said.

MTA says mileage could play a role in inspection frequency, and with the ongoing drive for universal RUC, it would make sense to consider linking the two projects.

“The concept of reducing unnecessary regulatory burden is sound – so let’s work on this together. MTA members collectively perform millions of WoF a year, so they get to see what really goes on.”