NZ Transport Agency CEO Fergus Gammie has tendered his resignation, which was accepted by the board.

In making his decision, Gammie said that by stepping aside he was hopeful that the necessary review and improvement of the regulatory function at the NZTA could be completed without any distraction.

“I am proud of the work I have overseen during my tenure as CEO, particularly setting NZTA on a path towards being a modern multimodal transport agency. This has included establishing New Zealand‘s first light rail project, setting up a new safety and environment directorate to push forward safety outcomes, piloting new digital mobility solutions in Queenstown and Auckland, while reopening State Highway 1 from Picton to Christchurch in December 2017, one year after the mountain-moving Kaikoura earthquake.

“However, as I said in October, the Transport Agency has long been focused and reliant on education and self-regulation rather than focusing attention and resources on ensuring regulatory compliance and enforcement. I also said that the public can expect that an increased number of enforcement actions would be taken to ensure compliance.

“In resigning, I note that the approach and focus of the Transport Agency has necessarily changed. I ask that full support be given to the board, management team, and Meredith Connell as they work towards resolving the outstanding issues and towards developing a stronger regulatory enforcement framework to ensure the public has confidence in the Transport Agency‘s processes,” he said.

Gammie will step down on 31 December 2018 and the NZTA board will make an announcement regarding the recruitment of a new chief executive in the New Year.