Our role
Our primary purpose is to promote an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system.
We do this through three main functions:
Investing in performance
Our Board is responsible for allocating funds from the National Land Transport Fund to land transport activities. Activities include local road and state highway improvement, maintenance and renewal, and passenger transport. The Board allocates funds to give effect to the Government policy statement on land transport funding (GPS), which sets out the Government’s strategic direction. However the Board makes its decisions independently on the specific activities and combinations of activities to invest in.
We're also a co-funder, together with local and regional government, of local roads and public transport infrastructure and services. In this role we also provide assistance and advice, including through membership on regional transport committees which develop regional land transport programmes.
Regulating access and use
We work closely with a range of agents to provide transport users with safe access to the land transport system. We do this through:
- driver testing services
- issuing driver licences and transport service licences
- vehicle certification, registration and licensing activities
- collecting road user charges and other revenue.
We’re contracted by the Ministry of Transport to develop rules, a form of legislation that, together with regulations, shape our business. See the main pieces of legislation influencing our activities.
Providing national activities
The national activities we undertake include:
- operating and improving the state highway network
- national advertising and education programmes
- administering a fund for land transport research.
Download diagram Our purpose, functions & objectives (PDF, 229 KB)
Our priorities
We have five strategic priorities that give effect to the GPS. In no particular order, we’re focused on:
- improving customer service and reduce compliance costs
- planning for and deliver roads of national significance
- improving the road safety system
- improving the efficiency of freight movement
- improving the effectiveness of public transport.
Did you know?
- We manage New Zealand’s 10,894km of state highways.
- State highways make up only about 12 percent of New Zealand’s roads but account for around half the 36 billion kilometres travelled each year.
- We have more than 4000 outlets.
- Each year, we process:
- 5 million vehicle re-registrations
- 1 million vehicle ownership changes
- 2 million road user licences
- 5.3 million warrants of fitness.
