Cuts, caps, and community access: The future of Total Mobility is on the table
By Phoebe Eden-Mann, Policy Analyst, CCS Disability Action
Published 5 March 2026
Right now, the Government is consulting on major changes to the Total Mobility scheme, and submissions close on 22 March 2026. For many New Zealanders, this consultation will shape whether they can continue to get to the doctor, the supermarket, work, and their communities – or whether cost and limits will quietly push them back indoors.
Alongside cuts already locked in to the subsidy, the consultation proposes changes to how eligibility is assessed, how many subsidised trips people can take, and who can provide services. For an organisation like CCS Disability Action, concerned with both access and human rights, this is not a technical policy exercise; it’s about the right to participate in society on an equal basis.
What has already been decided – and what’s still on the table
The Government has already decided to:
Reduce the fare subsidy from 75% to 65% from 1 July 2026, meaning users will pay 35% of the fare instead of 25%.
Work with councils to lower regional fare caps and maximum subsidies by about 10%, so the total amount that can be subsidised per trip will shrink.
These funding cuts are not part of the consultation; they are a done deal.
The current consultation focuses on six proposals that will determine how the smaller budget is rationed. The Ministry of Transport is seeking feedback on:
Clarifying the purpose of Total Mobility and making eligibility assessments more consistent.
Introducing targeted support allocations, including options to limit the number of subsidised trips people can take.
Creating incentives for more wheelchair accessible vehicle trips.
Allowing new providers (such as ride hailing companies) to join the scheme.
Introducing a National Public Transport Discount for disabled people.
On paper, these sound like technical improvements. In practice, they could mean the difference between getting to work three times a week or once a week, or between having a safe wheelchair-suitable taxi available and being stranded on the footpath.
Our core concerns
From our perspective, there are three major red flags in these proposals:
1. Limiting trips risks increasing isolation
The idea of a standard cap on subsidised trips – with higher allocations available after extra assessment – may look tidy in a discussion paper. On the ground, it risks rationing participation.
If you only get a fixed number of affordable trips each month, what do you prioritise?
Medical appointments?
Paid work?
Church, marae, or community events?
Seeing grandchildren?
For many people who cannot use buses or trains, Total Mobility is not a luxury; it is the only way they can participate. Trip limits, layered on top of higher co-payments and lower fare caps, create a structural pressure to stay home more often.
2. Tighter assessments risk excluding people
The consultation proposes “stronger evidence requirements” and more regular checks that people still qualify. Consistency is a good goal, but we are deeply concerned about:
More paperwork and reassessments for people with permanent impairments.
More room for assessors to question lived experience or medical evidence.
We have already seen, in other parts of the welfare system, how increased scrutiny can translate into disabled people having to constantly re-prove their need, or being removed from support when nothing about their impairment has actually changed. Total Mobility must not repeat those mistakes.
3. New providers must not mean lower access standards
Allowing ride hail and other providers into the scheme could improve choice – but only if accessibility and safety are non-negotiable. We support innovation, but:
Every provider in Total Mobility must meet strong access, training and safety standards.
Wheelchair accessible vehicle capacity must increase, not be undermined by cheaper but non-accessible options that cherry pick the easiest trips.
We also strongly support the idea of a national public transport concession for disabled people – but only as an addition, not a substitute, for a robust Total Mobility scheme.
How to have your say before 22 March
If you use Total Mobility, care for someone who does, or work in the sector, your experience matters right now. You can make a submission in several accessible ways:
Online surveys (accessible formats)
Standard form, NZSL, and Easy Read options are available via the consultation hub: Proposals to strengthen Total Mobility – online surveys
Written submissions
Email: TotalMobilityReview@transport.govt.nz
Post:
Total Mobility Consultation
Ministry of Transport
PO Box 3175
Wellington 6140
Submissions close 22 March 2026.
Our message: mobility is a right, not a discretionary extra
At CCS Disability Action we believe that Total Mobility exists because other parts of the transport system are not yet accessible. Until buses, trains, and streets genuinely work for everyone, Total Mobility is an essential service, not a “nice to have”.
Any changes must increase disabled and older people’s ability to participate in their communities, not quietly reduce it through higher costs, tighter eligibility, or trip caps.
The voices of users need to be central, not secondary, in designing the future of the scheme.
There is still time to influence the outcome. For many people, this scheme is the difference between isolation and inclusion. We encourage everyone in our networks to speak up and make it clear what a fair, dignity focused Total Mobility scheme should look like before 22 March. Please have your say!