A New Zealand technology entrepreneur has launched a mobile phone app that helps users keep track of their car registration and Warrant of Fitness (WoF) due dates.
These might seem like simple tasks for motorists, but founder Steph Kennard says that over a quarter of the 12,000 users that initially signed up to the Bonnet app discovered one or the other was overdue.
“Less than half of NZ road users fail to get their WoF in time and one third either forget or can’t afford to keep up-to-date with their registration,” says Kennard.
The app is free to download for Apple or Android. Users enter their licence plate number, and key dates are populated automatically from Waka Kotahi/NZTA data.
“You get alerted on your phone and you can update and book services on your phone," says Kennard. "It’s seamless and we hope that its simplicity means we see the number of unsafe cars on the road decrease."
The app launched seven weeks ago, debuting at number one in the NZ app store in its third week. Over 26,000 vehicles are already loaded.
Kennard says soon the app will be able to help monitor tyre tread and educate users on the differences between tyres on the market.
It will also have videos explaining how to change tyres, oil and water plus other car education tips, as well as a "traffic light" system aimed at fleets that shows users which vehicles need the most attention right at the top.