The New Zealand Transport Agency App is now available for everyone to use, following successful public Beta testing from May through to July.

“The NZTA App is a secure digital ‘one stop shop’ for drivers to access their licence and vehicle information, as well as making on-line payments,” said Liz Maguire, chief digital officer at New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

“Feedback provided during user testing was incredibly positive, with great feedback received for improvements that we’ve now made to the App functionality, as well as looking at features to include in future versions,” said Maguire.

During testing, the app was accessed more than 75,000 times, with 12,000 payments initiated.

Future updates will allow users to easily pay tolls and view their vehicles’ safety ratings, as well as pave the way for a Digital Driver Licence in New Zealand.

“We anticipate use of the App will result in significant long-term savings of over $5 million per year over the next five years on postage and other administration costs for processing transactions and responding to contact centre queries,” said Maguire.

 The current version of the app allows customers to:

• View their Driver Licence details, including classes and endorsements held.
• View any demerit points on their licence.
• View their vehicle details, Rego and WoF expiry dates.
• Access a quick link to online payments for Rego and to buy RUC.

In future releases, customers will benefit from additional features including:

• The option to receive messages, notifications, and reminders directly in the App and the choice to opt out from receiving paper correspondence for activities they can complete online themselves.
• Keeping contact details up to date so that labels are delivered successfully. Allowing electronic notifications with the ability to instantly act (e.g. registration due with a ‘Pay Now’ option)
• Change of registered person (change of ownership)
• View and pay tolls
• View, dispute or pay infringement fees
• View expiry dates and renew vehicle registration
• View the safety rating of their vehicle

NZTA anticipates that use of the App will result in significant long-term savings on postage and other administrative costs for processing transactions and responding to queries through the NZTA contact centre:

• Reducing cost to serve by $14.6m over five years (~$2.9m per year) of projected growth in operational costs due to higher vehicle use and regulatory changes. This includes savings on postage cost increases, RUC applying to EVs and Demerit points applying to Safety Camera Offences.
• Reducing the write-off amount of RUC by $12.9m over 5 years (~$2.5m per year) by providing a more convenient way to pay for the type of customers who tend to pay late (private use light vehicles, now including EVs and PHEVs).
• Enabling customers to self-serve on simple types of calls they typically call the contact centre about. The App will help reduce calls for 6 of the top 12 call intents. Those issues include registration label issues – missing, lost, or incorrect; updating address, phone number or email; driver licence card has not arrived in post; enquiries regarding vehicle registration; enquiries regarding vehicle registration being cancelled/lapsed; road User Charges (RUC) – distance licence enquiry.

NZTA has begun initial work on what legislative requirements would be required to deliver a Digital Drivers Licence in New Zealand in the next few years. NZTA will be working with the Digital Public Service branch at the Department of Internal affairs to ensure all requirements of a future Digital Drivers Licence meet New Zealand and international standards.