The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that Waka Kotahi has spent $5,186,358 in the last two years for an app not even in a usable state for New Zealanders.  The app was designed to hold your driving details but is not even allowed to be used for ID or to drive with.

Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “This is beyond wasteful. While our roads have been looking like Swiss cheese, NZTA has instead been pouring millions into stupid projects like this app and their Road to Zero speed limit reduction propaganda campaign. 

“The most useful part of this app is the part showing your driver licence details but it isn’t even allowed to be used as ID or to drive with. You couldn’t make it up. Working with the Ministry of Transport to get the digital licence to be accepted is good, but this work should have been completed before pumping millions into the app and hoping it will be useable. 

“Taxpayers have already spent too much money on this app. Minister Simeon Brown must put a stop work notice in place on this project and all other Ministers should be checking with their own departments to ensure similar vanity projects are not occurring.”