Indian-origin truck drivers in New Zealand say they are being unfairly swept up in a major licence crackdown.
Local transport operators warn this crackdown could trigger a critical driver shortage just weeks before Christmas.
The Australia Today had earlier reported that Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency this month revoked 440 commercial licences after discovering false or altered documents used during the conversion of overseas heavy vehicle licences into New Zealand equivalents.
The move has sent shockwaves through the transport and logistics sector, which relies heavily on Indian migrant drivers from the state of Punjab.
Transport operator and community advocate Navjot Sidhu told RNZ that the decision had disproportionately hit the Indian community, many of whom had moved from the United Arab Emirates after New Zealand reopened its borders in 2022.
“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,” Sidhu said.
“Long-serving, law-abiding drivers have suddenly found their livelihoods at risk.”
He warned the fallout could be severe.
“These are not just 440 drivers – these are 440 families. And this also means 440 fewer trucks delivering essential supplies around the country at the busiest time of the year.”
Tauranga-based transport operator Ranjit Singh employs four drivers, two of whom migrated from the UAE and now face the loss of their licences.
“These drivers can’t be replaced overnight,” he told RNZ.
“I advertised for a year and couldn’t find a single local driver. Training a new driver takes months. This crisis has hit us out of nowhere, right at peak season.”
ACT Party MP Parmjeet Parmar met affected drivers last weekend and also warned of serious consequences for businesses and supply chains.
“Hundreds of experienced Class 5 drivers being stood down just weeks before Christmas will place enormous strain on freight networks,” she said.
“Businesses depend on this period to recover financially. They cannot operate without qualified drivers.”
Parmar said many drivers believed they were following an approved process and had already passed New Zealand’s theory and practical tests. She has written to the Transport Minister seeking a solution that protects both the licensing system and the jobs of competent drivers.
Sidhu said some drivers had also been misled by a Dubai-based provider offering supporting letters for a fee, which NZTA now considers fraudulent.
“Drivers paid for these letters believing they were official.”
Many of the affected drivers, some with more than a decade of experience operating heavy vehicles over 40 tonnes in the UAE, say they have already proven their capability by passing local testing and driving safely in New Zealand for one or two years.
Hundreds of families gathered at South Auckland’s Takanini Gurdwara last weekend, sharing stories of sudden hardship.
Driving school operator Jitendra Singh said many drivers had received contradictory or confusing notices, with some stripped of their Class 5 licence but given Class 2 instead, forcing them to restart the entire licensing pathway.
Commercial law specialist Sarfaraz Khan is pushing for a case-by-case remediation process and is set to meet NZTA officials.
NZTA told RNZ that the revocations follow the discovery of “false or altered documentation” during a July 2025 audit and a subsequent investigation. Transport Minister Chris Bishop referred all questions back to the agency, calling it an operational matter.
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