The purpose of this policy guide is to achieve a nationally consistent approach for local authorities to administer the Total Mobility scheme in their respective regions.
This guide sets out the requirements, policy, principles, processes and explanatory notes to manage the Total Mobility scheme.
About Total Mobility
Funded in partnership by local and central government, the Total Mobility scheme assists eligible people, with long term impairments to access appropriate transport to meet their daily needs and enhance their community participation. This assistance is provided in the form of subsidised door to door transport services wherever scheme transport providers operate.
The Total Mobility scheme is intended to complement the provision of public transport services, which are expected to be as accessible as possible to meet different mobility needs.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency first published a policy guide for local authorities in 2008 and a user guide in 2010.
For the user guide:
Total Mobility around New Zealand: a regional guide to using the Total Mobility scheme
Local authorities determine maximum subsidised fares for the Total Mobility scheme in negotiation with Land Transport NZ, taking into account the New Zealand Travel Survey, and review them at least every three years.
In order for the maximum fares to reflect the purpose of the Total Mobility scheme, it is important that they are established at a level that is adequate and appropriate for each town/region operating a Total Mobility service.
The maximum fare for each region should be reviewed every three years to ensure that these fares take into account increases in tariff rates, fuel prices, etc. When fares are reviewed, the following information may be helpful in determining a reasonable maximum fare:
Land Transport NZ has used the following formula to review the adequacy of current maximum fare levels:
Travel time is not taken into account in this calculation. Therefore, regions with congestion issues should factor the cost of this into their maximum fare calculations each time they are reviewed.
Town boundary travel restrictions for the Total Mobility scheme are removed and replaced with a maximum subsidised fare.
Members of the scheme should not be confined to travel within town boundaries. This rule disadvantages those who live just beyond town boundaries, or need to travel to a destination that is just outside town boundaries. It may also prevent members from being able to engage in activities in nearby towns, where many key services and activities may be located. This is a particularly significant issue for those living in small provincial or country towns.
Local authorities are encouraged to consider the following when allocating Total Mobility trips:
This improvement aims to ensure that the level of trip allocation is adequate to reflect the scheme's purpose, and is reasonably consistent with the allocation level provided in other regions.
A majority of local authorities already take into account the needs of the user when allocating trips either by having no limit on the number of trips a user can make or by allowing users to request more trip vouchers if their initial allocation is insufficient. Local authorities that strictly limit the number of trips a user is given will need to adopt a more flexible approach.
Note: this improvement replaces original phase 2 conditions (n) and (u) from the Ministry of Transport's 2005 review. The application form (see appendix 5) and the Handbook for assessment facilitators (see appendix 4) contain material relating to the 'self-assessment' approach referred to in those original two conditions. Local authorities are not obliged to use this method of allocation, but may find the information useful for future reference.
Local authorities enter into contracts with assessment agencies, aligned with the guidelines produced by Land Transport NZ.
The Contract for Total Mobility assessment (appendix 3) is designed to act as a template when local authorities establish contracts with assessment agencies/facilitators. More information on service quality and performance management, storage of vouchers, attendance at meetings, etc, may be added, if required. However, local authorities that have existing contracts with assessment agencies are required to ensure that all clauses in the template have been covered off in those contracts.
A handbook, including best practice guidelines, should be developed and published by Land Transport NZ in conjunction with local authorities, to help assessors consistently apply the eligibility criteria.
The Handbook for assessment facilitators (appendix 4) has been designed to provide more detailed information to help assessment facilitators and local authorities in the consistent application of the eligibility criteria. It is also designed to be used as a resource when training new assessment facilitators.
Appendix 5 contains an application form template for local authorities and assessment agencies to use, which has been aligned with the handbook for ease of reference. Again, this form is a guideline and may be added to if either party wishes to collect more extensive information about prospective members of the scheme in their region.
Appropriate training is provided to assessors to assist in the consistent application of the eligibility criteria.
The Handbook for assessment facilitators (appendix 4) is designed to act as a training tool for existing and new assessors. Training requirements are outlined in the Contract for Total Mobility assessment template (appendix 3) as follows:
It is up to each local authority to determine who will conduct the training. It may be that one of the existing Total Mobility assessment facilitators is appointed as 'Chief Assessor' and made responsible for training new assessors as they are appointed and for conducting the periodic 'refresher' training sessions for more experienced assessment facilitators. Another option is for the Total Mobility coordinator to facilitate training sessions for all agencies/facilitators that provide Total Mobility assessments in their region.
The cost of providing the training will be financially assisted by Land Transport NZ at a rate of 60 percent and may be claimed through work category 633: Total Mobility administration.
Potential members of the Total Mobility scheme have the option to be assessed by a voluntary disability sector agency in every region.
It is important that potential Total Mobility scheme members have access to at least one relatively low-cost (or no-cost) assessment agency in their region. Voluntary disability sector agencies play a vital role in supporting the scheme by providing these services at little or no cost to the applicant.
In regions where general practitioners are the most prevalent assessment facilitators, there must be at least one voluntary disability sector agency/facilitator in each region that can provide a Total Mobility assessment for potential members who do not wish to go to a doctor. This may be in the form of a recognised disability sector agency or an independent assessor employed by the local authority to undertake Total Mobility assessments.
Local authorities establish systems for data collection, monitoring and evaluation. Local authorities improve their administration systems for the allocation and redemption of trip entitlement vouchers.
Most local authorities and assessment agencies currently use administrative systems that are labour intensive, relying on paper-based systems to allocate vouchers, collect information and monitor use. The variability in current capabilities of local authorities to collect information makes it difficult to provide a national profile of the scheme.
Local authorities should look to improve their administrative systems to enable more comprehensive data to be collected on the Total Mobility scheme in the future. This may include information relating to the number of Total Mobility trips undertaken, number of wheelchair trips, number of members, average distances travelled by Total Mobility users, etc.
Improvements made to Total Mobility administrative systems to enable greater data collection may be eligible for funding under work category 518: Total Mobility facilities operations and maintenance.
Local authorities enter into contracts with transport operators, aligned with the guidelines produced by Land Transport NZ.
All local authorities must have appropriate contracts in place with each transport operator that provides Total Mobility services in its region. Land Transport NZ has developed a contract template to be used as a guideline when establishing/renewing contracts with Total Mobility transport operators (appendix 1). Local authorities that have existing contracts in place are expected to ensure the clauses in the template are covered off in those contracts. Any additional clauses specific to each region may be included at the discretion of each local authority, eg rules around swipe card use and invoicing procedures.
Local authorities are encouraged to investigate the possibility of contracting taxi services operating in areas that are not currently covered by the Total Mobility scheme, to provide a scheme service.
In some regions, there may be taxis operating in areas where there is no Total Mobility scheme. The Total Mobility scheme review (MoT, 2005) recognised the potential for these taxis to be contracted to provide Total Mobility services in these areas, even though such areas may not be rated for Total Mobility and may not provide other bus, train or ferry services.
Extending the scheme into these areas should be investigated by the local authority if there is a current unmet need. This does not mean that there must be a Total Mobility service operating in every rural area in each region, but if a taxi company operating in an area where there is no Total Mobility service expresses an interest in providing one, then the local authority should investigate contracting its services. Similarly, a local authority may initiate the extension of the Total Mobility scheme into areas where there is both an unmet need and a willing potential operator.
The possibility of other types of transport providers participating in the Total Mobility scheme is investigated.
Total Mobility services have historically been provided by taxis. The Ministry of Transport (2005) concluded that this is not necessarily the optimal set-up. The potential exists for other types of transport operators to participate in the scheme, as they already do in some regions, eg transport services provided by community trusts and others that provide wheelchair-accessible vehicle services.
As with other transport services, operators will be required to meet legal licensing requirements and have appropriate contracts with the relevant local authority.
Note: Land Transport NZ is working on the policy framework for contracting non-commercial transport operators to provide Total Mobility services. Until this is finalised, the approval of such services should be made on a case-by-case basis.
