The majority of 1400 heavy vehicles forced off the road after a safety alarm about towing connections have still not been recertified.
Heavy vehicles are awaiting recertification over a safety inspection of their towing connections. Photo: RNZ / Supplied
The approval certifications of the vehicles, many of them large or small truck-trailers, were revoked more than two months ago.
The Transport Agency had aimed to have most of the recertifications done by the end of this month.
The agency said 812 had so far been inspected, and of these 445 had been recertified.
The others needed more work done on them.
The vehicles were all certified by Nelson engineer Peter Wastney, who quit after the agency began investigating him last year.
Meanwhile, officials double-checking the work of another certifier have uncovered safety concerns on the West Coast.
Wellington certifier Dick Joyce went to Greymouth last month to inspect 10 truck-trailers already forced off the road after the safety alert targeting Peter Wastney.
The Transport Agency subsequently suspended Mr Joyce temporarily, and has since been going through his job files.
"The 10 files relating to revoked PWE [Peter Wastney Engineering] towing connections which were re-certified by Mr Joyce have been reviewed by an independent engineer," it said in a statement.
"This review identified safety concerns with four of the certifications, and these have been revoked."
The other six certifications looked okay, but the towing connections would be inspected as a precaution.
Any decision to revoke Mr Joyce's certifying authority entirely had to be supported by evidence which would stand up in court, the Transport Agency said.