The Total Mobility Scheme is a success. Why on earth would the Government want to cut it?

For many of us, the Total Mobility Scheme is a lifeline to independence. When driving a car or using public transport is just not an option, taxis allow us to access the community. 

Recently, there has been quite a bit of news around the future of the Total Mobility Scheme. The number of trips is going up, we are told. More people are using the scheme. It is achieving its intended outcome of increasing community participation. Surely these figures are cause for celebration! 

Turns out, the Government thinks we’ve been having too much community participation. Too many trips to the doctor. We’ve been going to our jobs too often.  

When the Total Mobility Scheme was labelled a “budget blow-out” over the weekend due to every single figure pointing to its success as an initiative, we were confused. This is a scheme that supports every single priority of the NZ Disability Strategy, is widely valued by the community and is seeing record take up due to its positive impact on people’s lives - yet is under threat because *checks notes* it’s too successful?

Five years ago, there were 83,000 Total Mobility Scheme users and data from NZTA shows that number increased to 111,300 (as of July 1 2024). That’s 28,300 more people with limited mobility - including disabled people - participating in the community who might be stuck at home otherwise. 

The Post reports that trips have increased from 1.6 million in 2020 to 2.7m this year. That’s 1.1m more trips to the supermarket, coffees with friends, places of employment, doctor’s appointments, theatre shows - the list goes on.

The D*List asked Waka Kotahi (NZTA) what the change in cost to running the scheme has been in the last five years. In the reporting year 2020/21, the total subsidy for all users across the motu was $20.2m, and in 2024/25 it was $68.8m - that’s a $48.6m increase in five years. 

With a cost increase of this size, and this government’s track record of scrapping things that bring value to people’s lives, it’s no surprise there is a review of the scheme underway by the Ministry of Transport. And while the review has been underway for more than two years, we still have no idea when any findings or recommendations will be released.

If the scheme is cut, what might the flow-on costs be from any short-term savings? Reducing the Total Mobility Scheme will do more harm and create more barriers, not just for accessing the community and employment but essential services that require transport. The unemployment rate of disabled people - and associated costs - will certainly increase if we can’t get transport to work. Reduced transport also means a lack of access to not just basic healthcare but specialist appointments, regular GP visits and prescription pick ups. And when our healthcare needs are not met, this costs more - not just financially in the health system but on our overall wellbeing and mental health.

Many of my friends are using the scheme and it’s making a massive difference in their lives - and the Government is saying it’s too expensive? Whenever an essential service is under review, it can cause us to feel stressed and worried. A lack of transport can make us feel stuck and hopeless. Making cuts to schemes like the Total Mobility Scheme are choices made by decision-makers; they want to make costs fit into their budgets they created. So this so-called ‘budget blow-out’ is their problem, not ours.

Disabled people are out in the community today more than ever and the Total Mobility Scheme is working… So why cut it? Disabled people are not a “budget blow-out”. The scheme is doing what it’s designed to do: “ensure people with impairments can meet their daily needs in a safe and dignified manner”, according to the Ministry of Transport. It’s amazing that there are more opportunities now and spaces that are accessible for our communities - but we need affordable transport to access them. Let’s hope the Government keeps it that way.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The D*List Delivered!