The Total Mobility Scheme

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The Total Mobility Scheme (the Scheme) provides a subsidised taxi service to people with serious mobility constraints by way of taxi vouchers that provide a discount of (usually) 50 percent off the normal taxi fare. It also provides funding assistance for the purchase and installation of wheelchair hoists in taxi vans.

Initiated in the early 1980s, the Scheme is provided throughout New Zealand but is usually limited to urban areas. At present, there are approximately 43,000 registered members of the Scheme and consultation has shown that it is absolutely essential to those who rely on it.

In most regions, local authorities (usually regional councils) manage and operate the Scheme. Land Transport New Zealand (formerly Transfund New Zealand) reimburses local authorities 40 percent of the cost of the discounted taxi fares and 60 percent of the cost of fitting taxi vans with wheelchair hoists.

While the Scheme has been regarded as a single entity, there are currently many regional variants, distinguished by specific town boundaries and the application of slightly different rules. Collectively there are a total of 32 slightly different Schemes running in 56 towns.

The provision of the Scheme is consistent with the Land Transport Management Act 2003 which requires local authorities to consider the needs of transport disadvantaged people when preparing any land transport programme.

The Total Mobility Review

The New Zealand Transport Strategy (NZTS) was released in 2002 and outlines the government's five key objectives for transport. Improving access and mobility is one of these objectives. The NZTS includes an undertaking by the government to review and reform the Total Mobility Scheme.

Transfund New Zealand (now known as Land Transport New Zealand) undertook an initial review of the Scheme in 2002 as part of the Passenger Transport Social Services Review. The findings, published in July 2003, identified key concerns with the Scheme.

The review showed that because there are significant regional variations in the way the Scheme is being operated, inequalities have arisen regarding eligibility and entitlement. Other concerns raised relate to the Scheme being restricted to areas with access to buses, trains and ferries, along with issues relating to Scheme administration and transport providers.

A second phase of the review was considered necessary to address issues identified during the Passenger Transport Social Services Review and to improve alignment with the New Zealand Transport Strategy. This second phase seeks to identify options to improve the adequacy, consistency, portability, sustainability, and coverage of the Scheme.

Consultation Process

Between September and November 2004, the Ministry of Transport held a series of preliminary meetings with local authority transport managers, Total Mobility coordinators and some assessment agencies. 

Following these meetings, a consultation document was developed to investigate possible improvements to: Scheme purpose; eligibility criteria; entitlement - including fare subsidy, maximum and minimum subsidised fares, number of trips, assessment services, administration, and transport operators.

The consultation programme was undertaken in April and May 2005. This included 16 consultation forums held in six cities around the country for Scheme members, assessment agencies, disability agencies and transport operators. Some 414 submissions were received as a result of the consultation process, with approximately half being received from those who use the Scheme.

Key Recommendations

The following key recommendations were made in the review - and agreed to by government

• Purpose
• the purpose of the Total Mobility Scheme must be nationally agreed upon and applied, and the role of local authorities who provide the Scheme must be supported and strengthened

   

• Eligibility
• the current regional inconsistency in determining Scheme eligibility is unfair, therefore eligibility criteria should be agreed and applied nationally

   

• Entitlement
• all local authorities should use a transparent and consistent method for making entitlements - these should be adequate to meet the needs of users.

   

• Assessment
• contracts should be entered into between assessment agencies and local authorities to ensure high quality and consistent assessments
• local authorities should make a financial contribution towards the cost of assessments
• individuals should not be required to become members of assessment agencies in order to be assessed

   

• Transport Operators
• contracts should be entered into between local authorities and transport operators
• a flat payment in addition to the fare should be made to transport operators for each trip using a wheelchair hoist
• an appropriate safety regime for wheelchair hoists should be established

   

• Increase in Government funding
• the Financial Assistance Rate (FAR) should be increased to 50 percent in 2005/06 to local authorities that implement a number of these improvements and do not reduce their level of the funding
• the FAR should be increased to 60 percent in 2006/07 to local authorities who implement a further range of improvements and do not reduce their level of funding.