Land Transport Rules - Questions & answers

Omnibus Amendment 2013

1. What is the Land Transport Rule: Omnibus Amendment Rule 2013?

Land Transport Rule: Omnibus Amendment 2013 (‘the Omnibus Amendment Rule’) is a document prepared for public consultation that contains proposals to change requirements in a number of existing Land Transport Rules. Annual Omnibus Amendment Rules provide a means for consulting on relatively straightforward Rule changes that are mainly of a technical or editorial nature, or that originate, for example, from the need to reflect current industry best practice or changes to other legislation.

2. What are the amendment Rules resulting from Omnibus Amendment 2013?

For the purposes of consultation, proposed amendments to nine Land Transport Rules were combined into the Omnibus Amendment Rule. Following consultation, the provisions in the Omnibus Amendment Rule were split into the following amendment Rules:

• • Land Transport Rule: Heavy Vehicles Amendment 2014
  • Land Transport Rule: Light-vehicle Brakes Amendment (No 2) 2014
  • Land Transport Rule: Operator Licensing Amendment 2014
  • Land Transport Rule: Passenger Service Vehicles Amendment 2014
  • Land Transport (Road User) Amendment Rule 2014
  • Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices Amendment 2014
  • Land Transport Rule: Tyres and Wheels Amendment 2014
  • Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Lighting Amendment 2014
  • Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance Amendment 2014.

3. What are the reasons for the amendments being made?

The number of relatively minor changes to several Land Transport Rules is necessary for a variety of reasons. These include:

• clarifying or modifying current requirements to assist understanding and enforcement;
• removing unnecessary or unintended requirements to reduce the burden of compliance (without diminishing safety standards);
• amending requirements to accord with current practices and technology;
• correcting errors in cross-references, descriptions and technical specifications in current Rules.

4. What changes have been made in the amendment Rules?

The changes to each Rule are summarised below.

Heavy-vehicle Brakes 2006

The changes will:

• allow trailers to have a parking brake operated from the trailer;
• allow for vehicles complying with Australian Design Rule 35 to meet the reservoir capacity test;
• correct an error in the adhesion utilisation upper limit to enable short wheelbase vehicles to comply (replace Figure 1, Schedule 5);
• provide an alternative to inner corridor requirement for vehicles fitted with EBS (electronic braking system);
• add braking ratio requirements for non-towing semi-trailers (amending Figure 2 in Schedule 5);
• remove obsolete adhesion utilisation requirements that apply to semi-trailers;
• remove the requirement to obtain NZ Transport Agency approval for air-braked powered vehicles used to tow semi-trailers exceeding braking ratio limits (in 7.2 of Schedule 5).

Light-vehicle Brakes 2002

The changes replace the term ‘scratch-built vehicle’ with a reference to ‘low volume vehicles’ and delete the definition of ‘scratch-built vehicle’.

Road User 2004

The change amends the definition of ‘school bus’ to enable an operator to choose to operate the vehicle as a school bus on school function trips.

Seatbelts and Seatbelt Anchorages 2002

The changes replace the term ‘scratch-built vehicle’ with a reference to ‘low volume vehicles’ and remove the definition of ‘scratch-built vehicle’.

Traffic Control Devices 2004

The changes will:

• update cross references to provisions for combining traffic signs on a single pole;
• allow school patrol signs to be mounted on black and white pedestrian crossing poles;
• provide for wide centre-lines;
• correct the colour of M3-4A (time restriction), and clarify the colour of M3-5 (disability symbol), parking markings;
• clarify that zone parking may include pay and display zones;
• amend the definition of ‘school bus’ (see the corresponding Road User Rule proposal above);
• add nine new items to Schedule 1 Signs;
• correct an error in the descriptions of signs R4-13 and R4-13.1 (signal bypass lane);
• correct errors in the specification of R6-4 (Parking signs – Component 4 – Extent of restriction);
• correct an error in the specification of sign W3-2.1 (Slippery surface supplementary ice/grit);
• correct errors in the specification of colours for signs A40-1 (No exit) and A40-3 (Bells off (Railway level crossing));
• correct an error in the description of the slow vehicle bays signs in Schedule 1.

Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2002

The change clarifies that overdimension vehicles exceeding 3.1 m width may use the southern section of the Auckland Southern Motorway.

Vehicle Exhaust Emissions 2007

The changes amend the definition of ‘new vehicle’, to replace the term ‘scratch-built vehicle’ with a reference to ‘low volume vehicles’, and remove the definition of ‘scratch-built vehicle’.

Vehicle Lighting 2004

The changes will:

• replace the term ‘scratch-built vehicle’ with a reference to ‘low volume vehicles’ and remove the definition of ‘scratch-built vehicle’;
• allow for changes in the fitting of daytime running lamps on motorcycles.

Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002

The change amends the definition of ‘new’, to replace the reference to ‘scratch-built vehicle’ with a reference to ‘low volume vehicles’. The amendment to the Vehicle Standards Compliance Rule also deletes the definition of ‘scratchbuilt vehicle’ in ten other Land Transport Rules in which the definition occurs but the term is otherwise not used.

Consultation and publication

5. When do these amendment Rules come into force?

All the amendment Rules come into force on 1 January 2014. Until the amendment Rules come into force, the current requirements continue to apply.

6. Was the public consulted on the amendments?

Yes. On 28 June 2013, the NZ Transport Agency advised about 2400 groups and individuals registered on the Rules consultation database, by letter or email, of the proposed changes and invited them to make submissions. Printed copies of the Omnibus Amendment Rule and a summary of the proposed changes were made available on request. The Omnibus Amendment Rule and information material were also available on the NZ Transport Agency’s website.

Public notices seeking submissions were published in the daily newspapers in the major centres (Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin) and in the New Zealand Gazette. The NZ Transport Agency received 22 submissions on the amendment proposals. The submissions were taken into account in preparing the amendment Rules for signing.

7. What is the legal basis for the amendment Rules?

The Land Transport Act 1998 allows the Minister of Transport to make Land Transport Rules.

8. Where can I get copies of the Rules?

Final rules are available on the website. Printed copies of Land Transport Rules can be purchased from selected bookshops throughout New Zealand that sell legislation.

The Rules, except the Road User Rule, can also be purchased from the Rule printers and distributors, Wickliffe Solutions, PO Box 61 Palmerston North, or by telephoning (06) 353 2700. The Road User Rule is available from Legislation Direct (telephone (04) 568 0005). Rules can also be inspected at the National Office and regional offices of the NZ Transport Agency.

9. How will the NZ Transport Agency make sure people know about the amendment Rules?

A newsletter outlining the Rule changes is sent to the groups and individuals who have registered their interest in Rules that have been amended. Where necessary, the NZ Transport Agency will advise relevant industry groups of the changes. It will also update any relevant Factsheets or other information material available on its website to reflect the changes brought about by the amendment Rules.