Straight from the “What the actual fuck” files you get this!
antsplanetb
Motorhomes and horse trucks are being forced off the road under rule changes by NZTA!
Several owners spoken to by RNZ expressed distress at facing months of delay and thousands of dollars of bills.
“It’s just a real black tunnel of despair,” says Carmen Douglas of Mt Eden.
One horse truck manufacturer, Wade Group of Hamilton, estimated thousands of vehicles could be impacted.
“We think of the adventure tourism operators this could affect when they go to get their COF renewed,” said managing director Alyssa Wade.
In April, NZTA brought in a change to force any cab modified since 2005 to get sign-off from a specialist engineer.
This can mean stripping out the cab to check components, even for new trucks worth $250,000 or more just imported from Europe, and also covering any truck modified locally according to the manufacturer’s specifications, which is common to connect the driver to accommodation in the rear of motorhomes or horse trucks.
Owners are being quoted between $17,000 and $30,000 to get the rechecks, and face long waits!!!
Vicki Hay has just spent six months getting the $400,000 sale of the horse truck at her Tokoroa stallion stud back on track after it was rejected for its six-monthly Certificate of Fitness (COF) due to a cab cutout.
“They’ve ruined us economically,” she said.
Wade Group has contacted NZTA to try to amend the change but, so far, can’t offer the scores of clients they are helping with this any firm hope.
“I think their [NZTA’s] focus is to keep the industry accountable for safety requirements … what is disappointing is it has affected the whole industry,” Wade said.
It appears not all vehicle inspectors are applying the rule consistently.
Owners told RNZ about one Auckland testing station giving people till September before enforcing it, others are applying it now.
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