The trucking industry is urging the Government to grant stronger powers to impound unsafe vehicles after an Auckland operator was jailed for manslaughter.
Ashik Ali kept his truck on the road despite it being banned, and its failed brakes caused it to roll away and fatally hit a roadworker last year.
National Road Carriers Association chief executive Justin Tighe-Umbers said the system needed more teeth.
He said the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) needed the ability to impound dangerous trucks.
“They used all available levers, but there wasn’t a significant lever to get this truck off the road – therefore, it’s a system failure.
“NZTA needs the ability to impound trucks, which they don’t have at the moment. So they need more teeth.”
He said there were signs that next year the system will be strengthened by police and WorkSafe to keep out bad operators.
The case against Ali outraged the trucking industry, triggering calls for greater accountability for dodgy operators and regulators.
WorkSafe said it did not give any advice to its board or minister about the case.
NZTA previously rejected an industry accusation the death resulted from systemic failure.
The truck remained on the road for years despite multiple safety checks and warnings to Ali.
rnz.co.nz
