More heavy vehicle licences have been cancelled in New Zealand amid a crackdown on fraudulent activity, and all of the truck drivers affected so far are Indian.
The New Zealand Transport Agency announced earlier this month it had revoked 440 licences after an audit discovered false or altered documentation had been used to convert them from foreign permits, but an investigation by the NZ Herald found that number has now risen to 459.
An Official Information Act (OIA) request found all 459 foreign truck drivers were born in India, but no conversions were from Indian licences. The data showed that 436 were converted from the United Arab Emirates, 18 were from Australia, and five were from Canada.
Just two were held by women, and the drivers ranged in age from 24 to 65, with most aged between 30 and 35.
Providing false information as part of a driver’s licence application is punishable with a fine of up to $750.
Hundreds of the Indian drivers attended a rally at a Sikh temple in Auckland last weekend to protest the cancellations, claiming they were either treated unfairly or had been scammed after moving to New Zealand from the UAE to work after 2022 when the borders re-opened, RNZ reported.
One driver who attended the rally at the Takanini Gurdwara, Amritpal Singh, said the NZTA had “taken away our family’s only source of income” and asked “how will I feed my kids now?” Another, Parminder Singh, said he was now unable to pay his rent as he was banned from getting behind the wheel of any vehicle.
“Our wives and children are being penalised for no fault of theirs,” said a third driver, Kiranpreet Singh, who said he and the other drivers had followed a long-accepted documentation practice while converting their licences.
Indian transport operators also complained that they could find local hires to replace the disqualified drivers, and said the crackdown had affected thousands of people and could lead to supply shortages in the lead-up to Christmas.
“The Indian community has been disproportionately and severely affected, as many drivers of Indian origin form the backbone of New Zealand’s transport, logistics and courier workforce,” transport operator Navjot Sidhu said.
Another transport operator, Ranjit Singh, said one of the four truck drivers he employed had already received a revocation letter from the NZTA, while another who had moved from the UAE was expecting one also.
“These drivers can’t be replaced overnight. Firstly, getting commercial drivers is not easy in New Zealand. I advertised on TradeMe for one year but couldn’t find a single driver locally. That’s why we recruited from overseas. Secondly, training a new driver takes at least three months,” he said.
Mr Sidhu said many of the revocations appeared to be the result of a Dubai-issued supporting letter the NZTA now deemed non-verifiable or invalid despite accepting it previously, and an operator named Onkar said drivers had submitted the letter “in good faith”.
The operators also said that some drivers had been scammed by a supporting letter provider in Dubai who “openly advertised that they could supply the required supporting letter for a fee, suggesting this was the standard practice”.
“Lured by the impression created that this was the official letter recognised by New Zealand authorities, many drivers paid him the money and got the letter. This letter is now deemed fraudulent by NZTA,” Mr Sidhu said.
Indian ACT Party MP Parmjeet Parmar also spoke out in defence of those who had their licences revoked, saying “it’s clear many of them acted under pressure and believed they were following the correct process”.
“While any misuse of documents is unacceptable, these drivers have all passed New Zealand’s own theory and practical tests, and they have demonstrated their competence on our roads,” she said.
“I have written to the minister of Transport to advocate for a solution that upholds the integrity of the licensing system while ensuring that well-qualified and competent drivers are able to keep doing their jobs.
“My hope is that we can protect the system without causing unnecessary disruption to workers, employers and the freight sector at this critical time.”
The NZTA said in a statement that it was “taking action on these licences following the discovery that false or altered documentation was provided during the process of converting these overseas licences to New Zealand heavy vehicle licences”.
“Irregularities in the documents provided during the conversion process were discovered during an audit undertaken by NZTA in July 2025. This action follows a thorough investigation of issues identified during the audit,” a spokesperson said.
To convert to a New Zealand truck licence applicants must hold a valid overseas licence that is either current or expired within the last year, and it must not have been suspended, disqualified or revoked.
For those from exempt countries – including Australia, Canada, the UK, US, most EU countries, Japan and South Africa – an application form, identity verification, eye test and theory test are required.
Applicants from all other countries must do a practical driving test in addition to the other requirements.
Header image: Indian truck drivers and their families at the rally in Auckland (Facebook).
