About RUC on Rails
RUC on Rails is a New Zealand-based technology company focused on making Road User Charges more accessible, transparent and easier to navigate.
New Zealand is entering a structural shift in how its roads are funded. As the system moves toward full digital Road User Charges, millions of drivers will interact with new tools, new rules and new infrastructure.
We believe accessibility must be designed in from the start.
Through a focused ecosystem of platforms spanning information infrastructure, comparison tools, retail access and digital RUC services, we are building systems that make the transition clearer, fairer and more usable for everyday drivers.
We operate deliberately lean, prioritising automation, security and long-term structural thinking over unnecessary scale.
Making it work in practice
To make Road User Charges easier to access, understand, and manage for all New Zealand drivers.
Accessible at scale
A RUC ecosystem that is accessible at scale.
Where information is clear, distribution is inclusive and infrastructure is resilient enough to support national change without excluding the people it affects.
Our Principles
Accessibility
We design for real-world use, not ideal scenarios. Digital or in person, urban or rural, technically fluent or not, our systems are built to work for everyone affected by the RUC transition.
Accessibility is engineered into the structure, not layered on at the end.
Integrity
When working with regulated environments and financial flows, reliability and accuracy are non-negotiable. We prioritise auditability, clear controls and precise execution.
Trust is not a marketing line. It is a technical and operational standard.
Velocity
Change is coming quickly. We move faster. We execute decisively, iterate intelligently and position ahead of structural shifts.
Speed without control is chaos. Velocity with discipline is advantage.
Innovation
We operate in a market where legacy systems and slow-moving incumbents dominate. We leverage automation, modern architecture and intelligent tooling to build smarter solutions and lasting structural advantage.
Technology is not an accessory. It is how we lead.
The Founders
RUC on Rails was founded in 2025 by Adam Johnston and Briyarne Pascoe in Dunedin, New Zealand.
The company emerged from direct exposure to operational friction within the transport and driver ecosystem, and a recognition that the upcoming expansion of Road User Charges would create both complexity and opportunity at national scale.
Rather than wait for incumbents to adapt, they chose to build ahead of the transition.
Co-Founder & CEO
Adam leads strategy, operations and regulatory engagement.
Before founding RUC on Rails, he worked across operational roles within a high-growth New Zealand logistics environment, managing large networks of independent driver contractors and scaling systems under real-world pressure.
That experience provided direct insight into compliance friction, driver behaviour and the structural gaps that exist between policy design and day-to-day execution.
His focus at RUC on Rails is market structure, accessibility and long-term strategic positioning within New Zealand's evolving road funding landscape.
Co-Founder & CTO
Briyarne leads system architecture and platform development.
He has delivered software in both startup and public-sector environments, building systems where precision, security and accountability are essential.
With a background spanning rapid prototyping and production-grade infrastructure, he focuses on designing resilient, automation-driven systems capable of operating reliably within regulated contexts.
At RUC on Rails, he is responsible for the technical foundations that underpin the company's ecosystem.