Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is welcoming the sentencing of Keshwar Prasad in Auckland District Court on Thursday 8 August on three charges of wilfully tampering with vehicle odometers to avoid paying $15,000 of Road User Charges (RUC).
Mr Prasad’s application for a discharge without conviction was opposed by NZTA, and he received a $6,500 fine in addition to the requirement to pay the outstanding RUC.
Odometers record the distance a vehicle has travelled, and RUC payments are based on these readings. Investigations by NZTA showed Prasad tampered with odometer readings on three vehicles.
Brett Aldridge, NZTA National Manager Road Safety Regulation at NZTA, says NZTA is enforcing the rules to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of RUC to contribute to the upkeep of New Zealand’s roads.
“Aside from the illegality of odometer tampering to avoid paying RUC, an odometer that doesn’t accurately show the distance a vehicle has travelled is also safety issue. Service checks and repairs may not be carried out at the required intervals and mechanical and safety issues may not be picked up.
“We’re committed to keeping New Zealand roads safe for everyone and Thursday’s sentencing should serve as a deterrent to others of the consequences of not playing by the rules. We’re actively monitoring and enforcing RUC requirements and we will not hesitate to take action where we find non-compliance,” Mr Aldridge says.
Notes on RUC
- The Road User Charges Act came into effect on 1 August 2012 and it sets out who pays RUC.
- RUC is a distance charging system that applies to all vehicles using a motive power other than petrol.
- Odometer tampering is an offence under the Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003 and Road User Charges Act 2012
- The RUC exemption for electric vehicles ended earlier this year on 31 May 2024. Owners of light EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles under 3.5 tonnes pay RUC now.
- NZTA calculator you can use to estimate road user charges for your vehicle
