A former mayor who lost her licence after getting too many speeding tickets is being called on to resign from her role at Wellington Free Ambulance.

Dame Kerry Prendergast, Wellington Mayor from 2001-2010, now serves as the chair of the ambulance organisation.

She last week admitted to having her driver licence suspended for three months before Christmas after racking up 100 demerit points from five speeding infringements.

The admission has raised the eyebrows of paramedics, and prompted the head of the New Zealand Ambulance Association to call for disciplinary action or a resignation.

“It’s not a good look,” the union’s secretary Mark Quin told the Herald.

“She has to resign from her position,” he said.

Quin said Wellington Free Ambulance has previously disciplined staff for their actions outside of the workplace, and noted the organisation’s code of conduct requires staff to follow the law and disclose pending or recent driving offences.

He believed if a paramedic had their licence suspended for speeding in their own time, Wellington Free Ambulance would take action under the code of conduct.

“You’re the chair of the Wellington Free Ambulance, you should be setting the standard,” said Quin, who is a paramedic himself.

“She’s had a hundred demerit points, so that’s a fair bit of speeding she’s done in two years to get up to the suspension.”

The admission came during an appearance on Newstalk ZB’s Wellington Mornings show when Prendergast was asked by host Nick Mills about a recent story that speeding fines were skyrocketing.

“I’m a bit heavy on the accelerator and I’m really sorry,” the three-term former mayor said.

Prendergast said she was too busy looking at the road to notice the screen in her tesla telling her to slow down. Photo / Catherine Hutton

Prendergast said she did not notice her demerit points accumulating, and was shocked to learn that her licence had been suspended.

“It’s so easy in a Tesla to put your foot down and suddenly, vroom.”

Asked about the Ambulance Association’s comments, Prendergast declined to comment further, saying she had already apologised publicly.

She has been part of the Wellington Free Board since 2013.

Wellington Free Ambulance also declined to comment.

The organisation has previously supported national road safety campaigns encouraging drivers to slow down and stick to speed limits.

Ethan Manera is a Wellington-based journalist covering Wellington issues, local politics and business in the capital. He can be emailed at [email protected].