Travel subsidies for people with disability or mobility issues
Visiting family or making the trip to work each day could be easier with Total Mobility, a nationwide transport scheme administered by regional councils and aimed at giving people with disabilities mobility options.
Spinal Support NZ is registered assessor for the SCI community within the Auckland area. You will also need to be a Spinal Support NZ financial member at an annual cost of $10 to apply for an ARTA card, membership details are provided here: https://spinalsupport.nz/membership/
Please call Spinal Support New Zealand 09 270 3526 for more information about Total Mobility or to arrange an assessment. In other areas contact your local regional council to see how the scheme operates near you, or read the Total Mobility guide from the New Zealand Transport Agency.
The scheme provides financial assistance, providing registered users a 50 per cent discount on taxi fares up to a maximum subsidy of $40 per trip. The user pays the other half of the fare to the taxi driver. People who use the scheme must carry a valid Total Mobility photo ID card to get the discounted fare.
The cost of a half price taxi card (ARTA card ) is $40.
Who is eligible for Total Mobility?
Anyone with a disability that prevents them from undertaking any one or more of the following parts of an unaccompanied journey by public transport in a safe and dignified manner.
Get to the place where the transport departs
Get on to the transport
Ride securely
Get off the transport
Get to the final destination
The disability can be permanent, temporary (has lasted, or is expected to last for six months or more) or fluctuating (able to use public transport some, but not all of the time). You can only use Total Mobility for transport not already funded by other sources like the Ministry of Health or job support funding from Workbridge.
Examples of mobility limitations which would quality for Total Mobility
If you’re unable to walk to the nearest bus stop or get on and off a bus because of pain, respiratory problems, inability to see or hear, you rely on complex walking aids or if you need someone else’s help to get around
Total loss of or severe impairment of vision which prevents you from using public transport alone
Intellectual or psychiatric disabilities which may mean you need help from someone else.
Information for Total Mobility transport operators
All Total Mobility drivers will need special training so they can assist passengers with special needs and safely use hoists and ramps if their vehicle is equipped with them.
You can find more information about driver training requirements in the Total Mobility scheme policy guide. https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/total-mobility-council-guide/docs/total-mobility-council-guide.pdf
Total Mobility driver training is available from Passrite.
