A major licensing crackdown in New Zealand has taken hundreds of Indian truck drivers off the road, leaving many of them scrambling for answers. In the last few weeks, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has cancelled nearly 460 commercial driving licences, all belonging to drivers from India.
The move has thrown families into financial uncertainty and sparked fresh protests, with many affected drivers insisting they were misled. According to reports in the New Zealand Herald, several drivers say they unknowingly ended up with questionable UAE-issued documents, which are now at the centre of the controversy.
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So how did this situation unfold? Why were so many Indian drivers caught up in it? And what do New Zealand’s licensing rules actually require?
Here’s a breakdown.
Indian drivers taken off the Kiwi roads
New Zealand authorities say the issue goes back to an audit launched by NZTA in July, which found problems in how some overseas licences were being converted into
New Zealand heavy-vehicle licences, a category essential for the country’s trucking and transport sector.
According to the NZ Herald, the number of cancelled licences has now risen to nearly 460, up from the 440 first announced on November 10. NZTA says the cancellations stem from “false or altered documentation” that was used to prove driving experience overseas.
NZTA spokesperson Shelley Milton told Newstalk ZB that the move came after a “thorough investigation” aimed at protecting road safety. She added that drivers who provided false information could face fines of up to NZ$750 (around Rs 40,000), though no criminal charges have been filed yet.
Details released under an Official Information Act request, reported by The Noticer, show that every cancelled licence belonged to an Indian national. Of these, 436 were linked to UAE-issued papers, 18 to documents from Australia, and five from Canada. The drivers were between 24 and 65 years old, with most in their early thirties. Only two of the 459 cancelled licences were held by women.
Many of the affected drivers had submitted supporting letters from providers based in Dubai. These letters were reportedly available online for NZ$500 to NZ$1,000 (Rs 27,000– Rs 54,000) and were previously accepted by authorities. NZTA now says those documents are “non-verifiable or invalid,” leading to the cancellations.
What do New Zealand’s rules require?
To convert an overseas truck licence in New Zealand, applicants must hold a valid licence, either current or expired within the last 12 months, that has not been suspended, cancelled or disqualified in its home country.
Those from “exempt” countries, which have similar licensing systems to New Zealand, face a simpler process. They must verify their identity, meet eyesight standards, provide a medical certificate if needed, present their overseas licence and pass a theory test. They also need to pay the application fee and complete the photo and signature requirements.
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Exempt countries include Australia, the UK, Canada, Germany, Japan, France, the USA, South Africa, and several European nations.
Applicants from non-exempt countries, such as India, must go through all of the above steps and also pass a practical driving test.
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