Introduction, Background and Overview - Total Mobility Scheme Review

The Total Mobility Scheme

1. INTRODUCTION

This report presents the findings of the Total Mobility Scheme Review, and makes recommendations for improvements to the Scheme. An overarching policy framework for the Total Mobility Scheme is presented, encompassing 35 recommendations.

The first section provides contextual background about the Total Mobility Scheme (the Scheme) and the Review. The second section provides an outline of the project, including the policy approach, work programme, and the process of identifying key issues and potential improvements. The third section outlines a proposed policy framework for the Scheme and makes recommendations relating to each of the six identified components of the Scheme (as outlined in the consultation document). The fourth section describes the funding and implementation issues associated with the proposed policy framework, and makes recommendations for increasing funding.

Collectively the information and recommendations contained in this report are expected to assist government to determine an appropriate increase in central government funding for the Scheme, based on its own decisions about desirable and affordable improvements. The decisions made by government should then provide the basis for subsequent negotiation between local government and Land Transport New Zealand (Land Transport NZ) to achieve desirable improvements.

2. BACKGROUND

The Scheme provides a transport service to people with disabilities by way of taxi vouchers to Scheme members that provide a 50% subsidy (in most regions) off a normal taxi fare. The Scheme also provides funding assistance for the purchase and installation of wheelchair hoists in taxi vans. There are approximately 43,000 registered members of the Scheme around the country (see Appendix 1.). The Disabled Persons Assembly initiated the Scheme in the early 1980s, and effectively lobbied central government and local authorities to contribute funding to the Scheme as part of passenger transport services.

Local authorities contribute the greater share of funding and Land Transport NZ reimburses regional councils 40% of the costs of funding the Scheme and fitting new wheelchair hoists to taxi vans, and 60% of the costs of fitting taxi vans with replacement wheelchair hoists. During the 2004/05 financial year, Transfund New Zealand (now Land Transport NZ) allocated $3.60 million and regional councils allocated an estimated $5.40 million to the Scheme, totaling $9.0 million.

The Scheme is discussed as a single entity throughout most of this report, although there are currently many variants of the Scheme operating throughout the country. Each variant is distinguished by specific town boundaries and the application of slightly different rules. These variants will be referred to as schemes (in the lower case) for the purposes of this paper. Fifteen local government authorities (usually regional councils) manage and operate at least one or more schemes (up to seven operated by Horizons, Manawatu/Wanganui), and collectively these total 32 schemes in 56 towns. Appendix 1 outlines the characteristics of each scheme with regard to eligibility and entitlement.

This current situation reflects the Scheme's origins as a community initiative that evolved to a local authority responsibility over time. It is the product of differing regional interpretations of the eligibility criteria, entitlement provisions, assessment procedures and administrative arrangements across the country. Local government funding levels have also varied. It is within this context that the Total Mobility Scheme Review has been undertaken.

A review of the Scheme commenced in 2002 as part of the Passenger Transport Social Services Review undertaken by Transfund New Zealand. The Review was extended into a second phase in September 2004 when the Minister of Transport agreed to new Terms of Reference "to identify options to improve the adequacy, consistency, portability, sustainability, and coverage of the Scheme". The Review was scheduled for completion by 5 August 2005 and this report outlines findings and recommendations.

3. PROJECT OVERVIEW

3.1 Policy Approach

The major focus of the Review has been to support and strengthen the policy foundation of the Scheme, as well as identify options for improving the services it provides. Early in the Review process it emerged that the policy basis for the Scheme was loosely formulated. Some local authorities were also unconvinced that the provision of the Scheme was an appropriate local government responsibility. ²

While seeking to improve national consistency, it has also been important to endorse and support the pivotal role of local government in providing a regionally responsive service. Without the involvement of local government, the existence of the present-day Scheme would be threatened. Without an emphasis on national consistency, the Scheme delivers uneven service to a less than optimum proportion of its target group. The essential characteristics of both improved national consistency and regional responsiveness are incorporated in the proposed policy framework recommended in this report. However the success of any national framework will require negotiation with local government, increased central government funding³, and the support and compliance of all local authorities, voluntary sector assessment agencies and transport operators. If this can be achieved, it will provide a stable platform upon which to build further improvement and extend the coverage of the Scheme.

Indisputably of course, it is also clear that any successful Scheme must have endorsement and support from those people for whom it is designed. Throughout the Review process, people who use the Scheme (along with other stakeholder groups) have voiced their concerns about the problems of the Scheme. However even more critically, they also made it clear that this is an essential service that provides independence, freedom and opportunity. For some, it is a 'life saver'. ⁴

3.2 Work Programme

The Review work programme has focused on developing a profile of the current Scheme, identifying key issues, and identifying potential improvements. Significant outputs have included:

1. Pre-consultation meetings throughout the country with Total Mobility Scheme co-ordinators, local authority officials and some assessment agencies (see Appendix 2. )
2. Development and release of the consultation document (see Appendix 3.).
3. Management of the consultation and submission process, including:
   • Launching the consultation document at a meeting with national disability sector representatives, and at a meeting with officials from other government agencies (see Appendix 2.).
   • Series of sixteen consultation meetings in six cities (see Appendix 2. ).
   • Analysis of over 400 submissions, approximately half of which were from people who use the Scheme (see Appendix 4. )
4. Detailed analysis of possible improvements to the Scheme, including data collection on schemes, estimates of potential numbers of Scheme members, and financial costing of possible improvements (see Appendices 6, 8 & 10).
5. Review of international issues and practice 2004 (see Appendix 5.)
6. Description of the Total Mobility Scheme (see Appendix 6).
7. Development of a proposed policy framework for the Scheme (see Appendix 7).

3.3 Data limitations

It should be noted that it has been particularly difficult to collect reliable and comparable data on the various schemes. Data was collected by way of postal questionnaires sent to each local authority, seeking information about the rules and characteristics of their scheme(s). Generally local authorities responded to these questionnaires, but the extent to which they were able to provide the information varied. Often data was provided by way of estimates rather than hard data, and sometimes it was not available at all. This reflects the lack of systematic data collection by many local authorities. For those local authorities that did undertake more systematic data collection, the data sets available were not easily comparable.

Questionnaires were also sent to assessment agencies and taxi operators throughout the country. Local authorities provided the contact details for these organisations. Response rates however, were not high, and the quality of the information received varied.

Developing a profile about the people who use the Scheme (and how they use it) has also been problematic. It has been difficult to estimate the potential number of Scheme members under the existing, or any improved eligibility criteria. Although Statistics NZ was able to provide some data from the 2001 Disability Survey to assist develop informed estimates, it nonetheless was unable to fill all the information gaps (see Appendix 8).

Overall, this report is limited by available data with regard to: characteristics of the current schemes; the people who use the Scheme (and their travel behaviour and needs); and the potential number of people who could use the Scheme (whether under current or improved eligibility criteria). These limitations can be remedied in the future, and such remedies are included in the recommendations. However, for now, this report is largely reliant on indicative estimates, and it should be noted that the findings provided in this report are qualified accordingly.

3.4 Identifying key issues and potential improvements

Initial policy analysis identified six fundamental components of the Scheme, and the key issues associated with each component. This analysis was informed by the findings of an earlier survey by Transfund New Zealand.⁵ It was further informed and developed during a series of meetings with regional council transport managers and Scheme coordinators from around the country. These meetings provided an effective forum for clarifying the issues and identifying potential improvements. It was from this pre-consultative process, and the associated analysis, that the basis for the consultation document emerged. The document was organised around the six fundamental components, these being: Scheme purpose; eligibility; entitlement; assessment services; administration; and transport operators. It provided a brief description of each component, the issues, and possible improvements. It also posed a number of questions for submitters to consider.

The next sections of this paper provide a discussion of each component, including a description of the current policy context, key issues, and proposed improvements. Collectively these components form the bones of the proposed policy framework, and subsequent government decisions to implement improvements to each or any one of them will establish the exact nature of the body. In this way, a policy framework for the Scheme, as agreed and sought by the government, can be established. With the endorsement of the government, it will also position the Scheme as a clear part of the core business of both local government and Land Transport NZ.

It should be noted at the outset however, that although one of the overall goals for the Review was to improve national consistency, this is not wholly achievable from the proposed recommendations, and regional differences will remain (within defined limits). Further, additional policy work will be required to translate the recommendations into an implementation plan and resolve any emerging issues. An outline of the proposed policy framework is attached as Appendix 7 to this paper, and summarises the following discussion in tabular form.

Footnotes

2. The views of local government were outlined to the Minister in an earlier briefing paper dated 2 June 2005 (WGTA5883).
   
3. Through an increased financial assistance rate by Land Transport NZ from the National Land Transport Fund.
   
4. This comment was made by a Scheme member at one of the consultation meetings.
   
5. Transfund New Zealand Total Mobility 2003.

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