Road User Charges (RUC) are a form of pre-paid levies that help fund the upkeep of New Zealand’s public roads. While most road users are charged a fuel excise duty when they fill up at the petrol station, drivers of diesel vehicles and heavy vehicles like trucks, pay their share via Road User Charges. The levy is based on distance travelled.
HOW DOES ROAD USER CHARGING WORK?
Owners of eligible vehicles need to purchase a RUC licence, sold in multiples of 1000km units, and display it on their windscreen or in a prominent place for inspection.
The cost of the RUC licence depends on multiple factors including:
- whether the vehicle is powered or unpowered e.g. a trailer
- the number of axles on the vehicle
- the spacing between each axle
- the number of tyres per axle: either single or twin
- the vehicle weight classification.
You can check your vehicle classification here.
All vehicles that pay Road User Charges must be fitted with an accurate and reliable distance recorder. In addition, transport service licence holders must keep detailed records relating to their vehicles' road user charges that can be produced easily for inspection. Individuals and organisations can be fined up to $100,000 for failure to produce accurate records for the vehicle's road user charges.
If a vehicle uses private roads such as those in forestry, mining or agriculture, the owner can apply for a refund on this portion of the charges. To receive refunds on your Road User Charges, you must provide accurate reporting of off-road distances (private roads and land), the tracking method, licence and vehicle registrations, and retain these records for auditing.
HOW CAN I STREAMLINE THE ROAD USER CHARGES PROCESS FOR MAXIMUM PRODUCTIVITY AND REFUNDS?
Teletrac Navman RUC Manager has been approved by NZTA as an Electronic System Provider (ESP) and is an agent for the collection of Road User Charges.
RUC Manager, along with the Electronic Distance Recorder, allows users to manage, purchase, display and update RUC licences in real-time. RUC Manager automatically tracks vehicle distance and calculates off-road activity, enabling precise RUC rebates.