Total Mobility Scheme NZ: Subsidized Transport for Disabled People

For many disabled young people, transport is one of the most practical barriers between them and the outside world. School provided structured transport. Once school ends, getting to a day programme, a job, a medical appointment, or a social activity suddenly requires families to solve the logistics themselves. The Total Mobility Scheme is one of the tools available to help — but it is underutilized because families simply do not know it exists or how to access it.

What the Total Mobility Scheme Is

The Total Mobility Scheme (TMS) provides subsidized transport for disabled people who cannot use standard public transport due to their disability. It is administered by regional councils and district health boards in partnership with approved taxi or shuttle operators, and it operates in most urban and some semi-urban areas across New Zealand.

The scheme works through a voucher or electronic card system. Approved participants receive credits or vouchers that cover a significant portion of the fare with a registered TMS transport provider. The subsidy amount varies by region but typically covers 50% of the fare up to a maximum per trip.

Who Is Eligible

Eligibility is based on functional limitation — the person's disability must mean they cannot reliably and safely use standard public transport such as buses, trains, or ferries. This is a deliberately broad criterion and covers:

• Mobility impairments that prevent independent access to public transport
• Visual impairments
• Intellectual disabilities where independent travel training is not yet achieved or not possible
• Autism-related barriers — for example, severe anxiety, sensory overload, or inability to manage the unpredictability of public transport
• Episodic conditions (such as epilepsy) where independent public transport use is unsafe

It is not necessary to be completely unable to ever travel independently. The assessment focuses on whether the disability creates a significant barrier to reliable, safe use of standard public transport.

How to Apply

Applications for the Total Mobility Scheme are processed by your regional council or local authority, not by central government. This means the process varies somewhat by region, but the general steps are:

1. Contact your regional council (search for your regional council name plus "Total Mobility Scheme") to request an application form
2. Have a supporting letter or report from a relevant health professional — GP, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, or specialist — confirming the disability and explaining how it prevents use of standard public transport
3. Submit the application to the council for assessment
4. Receive your TMS card or vouchers if approved, along with a list of registered transport providers in your area

Some regions have waiting lists or annual review requirements. The scheme is not available in all rural areas — families in rural locations should check availability before relying on it as part of a transition plan.

What It Does and Does Not Cover

The TMS covers door-to-door transport in approved vehicles driven by registered providers. It is not Uber or standard taxis — operators must be registered with the scheme.

It does not cover:

• Long-distance travel between regions
• Private travel costs (fuel reimbursement for family drivers)
• Transport by family members or friends

For travel costs not covered by TMS, the Disability Allowance (administered by Work and Income) can reimburse health-related transport costs, including travel to medical appointments. These are separate schemes — a family can use both.

SESTA School Transport and the Gap at Transition

While the young person is still at school, transport to and from school is often funded through the SESTA (Special Education Service Transport Assistance) scheme, administered by the Ministry of Education. SESTA provides transport funding for students with high support needs who cannot use standard school transport.

SESTA ends the moment the student leaves school. This is one of the less-discussed components of the "cliff edge" — families who have relied on SESTA for years suddenly need to establish entirely new transport arrangements through Regional Council TMS and other mechanisms. Planning this transition before the student's final year of school is strongly advisable.

Transport as Part of Transition Planning

Transport access shapes everything else in a post-school life. A young person who cannot reliably get to their day programme, job, or social activity effectively loses access to all of those things — regardless of how well the other parts of the transition plan work.

When building a transition plan, transport should be mapped explicitly for each destination the young person will need to reach regularly: the day programme or workplace, medical appointments, social activities, family visits. For each one, the question is: who is providing transport, what is the cost, and is there a subsidy mechanism in place?

For families working through the complete post-school transition — from NASC assessments and financial entitlements to employment and living arrangements — the New Zealand Post-School Transition Roadmap includes this kind of practical cross-agency planning framework to make sure nothing falls through the gaps.

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