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Ministry of Transport

Total Mobility Review completed and next steps agreed

Ministers made decisions on the six proposals to strengthen Total Mobility that were consulted on between 16 December 2025 and 22 March 2026. 

The consultation was part of the Total Mobility Review. The Total Mobility Review looked at how Total Mobility operates and how it can be improved to deliver better outcomes for disabled people. The Total Mobility review has resulted in decisions on two main areas:  

  • funding changes to stabilise the scheme's costs in the short-term, and  
  • a package of longer-term improvements to expand transport choice over time, improve national consistency, and better support access to mainstream public transport where appropriate. 

Together, these decisions now bring the Total Mobility Review to a close. 

This update sets out the package of improvements designed to strengthen Total Mobility for users and funders. 

You can read the news story regarding these changes below:

Alternate formats: New Zealand Sign Language is being produced and will be available soon.

Funding changes took effect on 1 July 2026

On 16 December 2025, Ministers announced a package of funding changes to keep Total Mobility financially sustainable and the fare subsidy level nationally consistent.  

From 1 July 2026: 

  • the Total Mobility fare subsidy reduced from 75 percent to 65 percent (with the Crown share reducing from 25 percent to 15 percent) 
  • regional fare caps reduced by around 10 percent across the country
  • Crown savings from the subsidy change were used to help address funding shortfalls faced by public transport authorities. 

Together, these funding changes are expected to reduce the combined funding shortfall across the Crown, the National Land Transport Fund and public transport authorities from around $236 million to $26 million over 2025-2030, while retaining a subsidy for Total Mobility users above the pre-2022 level of 50 percent. 

Improvements to Total Mobility following public consultation on six proposals

The Ministry of Transport received 564 written submissions and met with around 200 people through public and targeted online and in-person meetings. The feedback was constructive, informed and has directly shaped the decisions.  

A summary of submissions is available here:

We are grateful to everyone who took the time to share their views. 

Proposals being progressed  

Four of the six proposals will be progressed: 

  • A clear, national purpose statement – NZTA will embed a national purpose statement into NZTA’s Total Mobility Requirements for public transport authorities. The purpose statement will be: 
    • “to provide subsidised, accessible transport options to disabled people, and people living with long-term impairments, who are unable to access public transport, to live their lives and participate in work, education, and their community.” 
  • Stronger incentives for wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) – NZTA will be asked to review the current incentive settings including the per-trip WAV payment (unchanged since 2005) and grant Funding Assistance Rates. NZTA is responsible for investment decisions in the National Land Transport Fund, which funds these incentives. 
  • A review of standards and safeguards for Total Mobility providers – NZTA will be asked to review current standards, safeguards and procurement guidelines for Total Mobility providers. Standards and safeguards will be reviewed to consider whether they are fit for purpose for a wider range of Total Mobility providers, including ride-hail services, to provide Total Mobility services where public transport authorities choose to contract them. 
  • Work on a national public transport concession for Total Mobility users, including considering a free companion fare – this would address a practical barrier to using public transport where it is a realistic option and reduce the current regional inconsistency in concessions. 

Alongside the changes above, NZTA will also further update its Total Mobility Requirements for public transport authorities to support more consistent assessment practice of Total Mobility users across the country.

Proposals not being progressed 

After considering the consultation feedback, costs, and likely benefits, Ministers decided not to progress any further: 

  • mandatory documentary evidence requirements of impairment for all new Total Mobility applicants and/or mandatory periodic reassessments for all existing Total Mobility users 
  • nationally mandated caps on the number of subsidised Total Mobility trips. 

Consultation feedback was clear that these options would add administrative burden and costs for disabled people, assessors and public transport authorities, and risk limiting essential travel for those who rely on Total Mobility most. 

Next steps

The Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) will now work with the NZTA and the Ministry of Disabled People to implement the package of improvements. The work will happen in stages over time and progress into 2027: 

The revised purpose statement will be incorporated into NZTA’s Total Mobility Requirements for public transport authorities. 

Further work will be carried out on WAV incentives, Total Mobility provider standards and a national public transport concession for Total Mobility users.  

We will continue to communicate with the disability community, public transport authorities and Total Mobility providers as this work progresses.  

 

The work to date

03
Dec 2025–Mar 2026

Launch of Total Mobility consultation

The Government has announced changes to Total Mobility funding settings to ensure the continued financial viability of the scheme.

Read the Transport Minister’s media statement at the Beehive website. Please note that the Transport Minister’s media statement is not available in alternate formats.

This news story is available in the following alternate formats:

 

A Total Mobility update in NZSL.

 

Close
02
Dec 2025–Present

Changes to funding settings and launch of public consultation

The Government has announced changes to Total Mobility funding settings to ensure the continued financial viability of the scheme.

The Government has decided to:

  • reduce the fare subsidy from the current 75 percent down to 65 percent, starting from 1 July 2026. This means that Total Mobility users will pay the remaining 35 percent of fares from the middle of 2026.
  • work with public transport authorities to lower the regional fare caps and the maximum subsidy by approximately 10 percent.

The Government will also provide some additional funding to public transport authorities to reduce their funding shortfalls and support them to stay fully within the scheme, starting from 2025/26. This additional support to public transport authorities will come from within the existing Government funding for Total Mobility.

These changes aim to strike a balance between managing overall costs – which are increasing unsustainably – the impact on users, and ensuring the scheme can continue in a nationally consistent way.

The Government has also announced a public consultation on proposals to strengthen Total Mobility. The consultation has opened and will close on 22 March 2026.

01
2025

Reviewing Total Mobility

The Ministry of Transport (the Ministry) is leading a review of the Total Mobility scheme.  The purpose of the review is to establish how this scheme operates and how it can be improved to create better outcomes for disabled people.

The review will support the human rights of disabled people as outlined in New Zealand’s commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).  

Refocussed Terms of Reference 

The Terms of Reference (the scope) for the review were developed in consultation with Total Mobility stakeholders and were set in July 2023.

These terms have been revised to give the review a clearer focus so it can deliver on its original purpose. The review will build on the work commenced under the previous Terms of Reference. 

The revised Total Mobility review terms of reference are provided on this webpage and are also available in the following formats: 

You can find information about the work that led up to this point here:  

Total Mobility scheme review – initial scope 

The review covers four areas: 

Area 1: The purpose of the Total Mobility scheme 

The review will focus on: 

  • what the purpose of Total Mobility is and how it fits with other government initiatives to support transport accessibility for disabled people. 
  • how the scheme aligns with the human rights of disabled people under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 
  • how Total Mobility and the transport needs of disabled people have changed over time and how these could keep evolving in the future.  
Area 2: How aspects of Total Mobility could be made more accessible for disabled people 

The review will focus on:  

  •  eligibility criteria for Total Mobility users and whether these criteria are fit-for-purpose
  • assessment processes for people applying for Total Mobility and whether these processes are fit-for-purpose
  •  whether eligibility criteria and assessment processes are benefiting those who use Total Mobility the most
  • costs faced by Total Mobility users (such as assessment fees)
  • the ability of people to use Total Mobility services in different regions and how this may impact disabled people travelling to different regions that deliver the services under the scheme.  
Area 3: How aspects of Total Mobility’s operations could be improved 

The review will focus on: 

  • whether any changes are needed to make the scheme’s delivery more consistent and equitable across regions that deliver the scheme, and opportunities to innovate
  • the supply of Total Mobility services, including the availability of specialist wheelchair accessible vehicles and drivers, and options to increase service supply if needed
  • who should be eligible to operate as a Total Mobility provider
  • opportunities to deliver more innovative services to Total Mobility users
  • financial compensation for service providers, to ensure that the Total Mobility scheme remains attractive for service operators, including fair compensation for the installation and maintenance of essential equipment like wheelchair hoists. 
Area 4: Funding mechanisms for the Total Mobility scheme 

The review will consider: 

  • current and projected funding needs for the Total Mobility and how these needs could be met to enable the longevity of this scheme
  • how other government initiatives to support transport accessibility for disabled people are funded, and the interactions between these funding sources
  •  the potential for new or innovative funding mechanisms. 

By examining these aspects, the review aims to identify ways to create a more sustainable and resilient funding model that supports both current operations and future growth of the scheme.  

Get in touch

If you have any questions about the review, contact us at TotalMobilityReview@transport.govt.nz

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