This page has answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Total Mobility Scheme in Taranaki.
The information is applicable from 1 April, 2011.
Click on a general heading for a list of related questions and answers, or simply scroll down the page.
| General queries | Joining |
ID cards | Using vouchers | Getting vouchers | Approved providers |
General queries
What is Total Mobility?
Total Mobility is a nation-wide scheme aimed at assisting people with impairments to become more mobile and active in the community. This help is given in the form of subsidised door-to-door transport services. This reduces taxi fares for people with an impairment that may prevent them from using public transport in a safe and dignified manner.
The scheme also assists taxi companies with funding to install wheelchair hoists in vehicles.
How does the scheme assist people with disabilities to participate in community life?
Whether you need to go to the shops, the bank, or your church, Total Mobility makes it easier for you to participate in your community. It does this by subsidising taxi fares through a voucher system, saving you up to half the cost of a normal fare.
A special ID Card and a book of vouchers is issued to each Total Mobility user, and one voucher is redeemed at the completion of each trip, with you paying the remaining portion of the fare. The current maximum subsidy is $13 (50% of a $26 fare).
What is not covered by the scheme?
Total Mobility is not intended to be a substitute for transport services that are the responsibility of:
- Other government agencies such as the Ministry of Education, which is responsible for all school-related travel.
- Rest home-providers, or be used by the rest home to provide transport for organised activities.
How do I make a complaint or suggest improvements?
Please give details of your suggestion or issue to Total Mobility staff by phone, letter or email.
Joining the scheme
Who is eligible to join the scheme?
Anyone living in the Taranaki region with an impairment that affects their ability to use transport can apply for membership of the Total Mobility Scheme. Eligibility is based on how the disability affects the person's ability to use transport.
An eligible person must have an impairment that prevents them from undertaking any one or more of five components of a public transport journey unaccompanied in a safe and dignified manner:
- Getting to the place from where the bus or other transport departs
- Getting onto the bus
- Riding securely
- Getting off the bus
- Getting to the destination
The disability may be temporary, as long as it lasts a minimum of six months (e.g. recovery after a stroke), or variable in impact so that you are sometimes able to use conventional transport (e.g. arthritis).
How do I know if I am eligible to join?
If you have a significant impairment which prevents you from using your own car or travelling on a bus, you will need to be assessed to make sure you meet the national eligibility criteria of the scheme and are genuinely in need of subsidised taxi travel. The application form gives more details.
Download an application form (107 KB)
All TM users must meet the eligibility criteria and have their membership approved by, and registered with, the Taranaki Regional Council. A medical assessment will be required, conducted by a doctor or specialist. Alernatively, the Council has contracted Access Ability to also provide eligibility assessment services using trained staff. Contact Access Ability by calling 06 758 0700 (New Plymouth), 06 278 1001 (Hawera), or 0800 758 700, or by emailing nasc.taranaki@accessability.org.nz.
The Council reserves the right to seek an independent medical assessment.
How do I get assessed?
Your doctor is the best person to assess your eligibility for the scheme, as they know your medical history. Alternatively, Access Ability is an approved assessment facilitator. Contact Access Ability by calling 06 758 0700 (New Plymouth), 06 278 1001 (Hawera), or 0800 758 700, or by emailing nasc.taranaki@accessability.org.nz.
Section B of the application form is a Medical Eligibility Assessment that you ask your doctor to complete for you, verifying that you are medically eligible for Total Mobility. Your doctor may require you to make an appointment to do this. Discuss this with your doctor (GP or relevant specialist) or their nurse/receptionist, or the staff at Access Ability. Most doctors already have copies of the application form at their practice and will be familiar with filling them in.
What will it cost me to belong to the Total Mobility Scheme?
The scheme is free, although you may need to pay your usual doctor's fee for them to complete the Medical Eligibility Assessment. When submitting your application form, you need to pay $5 for the required ID card, and provide a recent photograph of yourself.
Does the doctor charge me for my assessment?
Doctors generally do charge for their time to complete the Medical Eligibility Assessment. So you may wish to wait until your regular doctor's appointment. If you are being assessed by Access Ability, a $12 fee will apply, payable to the Taranaki Regional Council.
What happens after I've been assessed?
Once you have been assessed and completed all the sections of the application, you post it to Total Mobility staff for processing. If your application meets the criteria for the Total Mobility Scheme, the Taranaki Regional Council will issue you with:
- A photo ID card, which you will need to keep safe and show to the taxi driver each time you travel.
- A book of taxi vouchers, which entitle you to an up to 50% discount on taxi travel.
- Guidelines on the use of taxi vouchers.
Has my Total Mobility application been approved?
When your application has been received by Total Mobility staff they check it carefully. If there are any problems then they will contact you. It usually takes us 10 working days to process applications and notify applicants of the outcome. If you haven't heard from us for more than 10 working days (a calendar fortnight), please feel free to contact Total Mobility staff to enquire about progress. Applications may take as long as 20 working days to process, depending on the quality of the information supplied.
ID cards
Why do I need an ID card?
The Total Mobility ID Card is proof that you are eligible to use the discount vouchers. You must show the card to the taxi driver every time you use a voucher, regardless of how frequently you use vouchers or whether you are known to the taxi driver.
How do I get a Total Mobility ID card and vouchers?
Complete all sections of the application form, including the medical assessment (completed by your doctor or Access Ability) and post it to Total Mobility staff for processing. While it usually takes approximately two weeks to register a successful applicant and issue a photo ID card, it may take up to 20 working days to process your application, so you need to allow sufficient time before you need to use them.
Download an application form (107 KB)
What kind of photo is needed for the ID card?
With your application, you will need to provide a photograph that is:
- Less than two years old.
- Passport size (35mm x 45mm).
- Head and shoulders (head size approximately 70% of photo) with a plain background.
Digital photos are preferred and can be emailed to totalmobility@trc.govt.nz with your name and contact details.
If you are providing a printed photo, please print your name clearly on the back of the photo. A passport photo from the pharmacy is ideal.
My ID card has been lost or stolen. How do I get a new one?
Contact Total Mobility staff as soon as you can. There is a $5 fee for a replacement card, but as long as we have your photo and other details stored on file, it is likely that this can be issued quite quickly once the replacement fee is received. Until you receive the replacement ID card, you will be required to pay the full taxi fare.
Using vouchers
Do I have to pay for the voucher books?
No. The voucher books are provided free of charge to eligible users of the Total Mobility Scheme.
Do I have to write my ID number on every voucher?
Yes. Your ID number confirms that you were the person who used the voucher, and that this was verified by the taxi driver when they checked your photo ID Card against yourself and the ID number on the voucher.
Is it true that vouchers can't be used unless I am in the taxi
Yes, it is absolutely essential that the person using the voucher (and carrying their Total Mobility ID Card to prove that they are eligible to do so) is in the taxi for the entire duration of the journey. There's no reason why a user's family, friends, caregivers etc. (able-bodied or not) can't share the taxi with them, but the person using the voucher must be in the vehicle for the entire journey.
Can my carer use my voucher book to get my groceries, etc?
No, unless you are with them in the taxi for the entire journey — refer to the question above. The vouchers are issued to you and you only, and recorded as such in the Total Mobility database. They are solely for your use, and you must not give your vouchers to any one else to use.
Do my spouse and I both have to use a voucher book when we travel?
If you are travelling together with another Total Mobility user then you should only ever use one voucher for the trip, regardless of how many passengers are in the taxi. If two or more Total Mobility users regularly travel together, we suggest that you take turns to use your vouchers.
Where can the vouchers be used?
Vouchers can be used anywhere within the Taranaki region. There are no town-boundary travel restrictions, but a maximum subsidy will apply.
Can I use my vouchers for discounted travel from, say, New Plymouth to Inglewood?
As per the answer to the question above, you can use your vouchers to receive a discount on the fare from New Plymouth to Inglewood. However, the maximum subsidy is $13 (50% of a $26 fare).
Can I use my vouchers for discounted travel to New Plymouth Airport?
Yes, but the maximum subsidy is $13 (50% of a $26 fare).
What do I do if the taxi driver growls about filling in my vouchers?
It is your responsibility to fill in as much of the voucher as possible. The driver will be happy to assist you if you have any difficulty filling out all sections, but they often have time pressures so will understandably be frustrated if you have the ability but have not done so. In the rare event that you find a driver to be unhelpful, please contact the taxi company involved to express your concerns.
Can I use my vouchers in other parts of New Zealand?
Yes, you are able to use your vouchers anywhere in New Zealand where a Total Mobility programme operates. The details are on the New Zealand Transport Agency website - click on this link: Total Mobility around New Zealand.
Please note that different maximum fares or subsidy rates may apply in other regions, which have their own Total Mobility rules. Some larger regions also use electronic swipe cards instead of vouchers, so drivers will not be as familiar with filling out the vouchers.
Getting new vouchers
How can I order a new voucher book?
There are four ways that you can order a new voucher book:
- Online — Use this website's online request form.
- Post — Our latest voucher books include a tear-off back cover which you fill in and post to the TM Co-ordinator. Older style voucher books do not include this.
- Email — To totalmobility@trc.govt.nz.
- Phone — Call TM staff on 0800 TOTMOB (0800 868 662) between 9am and 7pm, Monday to Friday.
You need to give your full name, your Total Mobility ID Card number and your postal address, and specify the type of voucher (yellow, green or blue) you require.
You need to allow at least five working days to receive your next voucher book, so plan ahead.
Do I have to belong to a disability support group or agency before I can get a voucher book?
No, they are no longer involved with the distribution of TM voucher books. Their Total Mobility role now is to provide general information, advocacy and support for their members. They may be able to help you to order a voucher book through the website if you have difficulty doing so yourself, but you definitely do not need to belong to any group to become a member of the Total Mobility Scheme in Taranaki.
Can I have two voucher books at a time please?
Generally, no. The voucher books are distributed one at a time as needed. One book of 25 vouchers should last at least six weeks.
Only in isolated cases, if a user faces special circumstances, will more than one voucher book be issued at a time.
Can I have a voucher book every fortnight?
No, you cannot receive a voucher book every fortnight, or at any other standard time interval. Voucher books are manually distributed by Total Mobility staff as needed, not automatically. You must request a replacement voucher book when the number of vouchers left in your current voucher book is getting low. Each Total Mobility User (or their caregiver) must take responsibility for requesting a replacement book, as none are sent out automatically.
My voucher book has been lost or stolen. What do I do now?
Notify us as soon as possible so we can cancel the remaining vouchers, and send you a new voucher book.
Approved transport providers
Which transport providers are involved?
The following operators provide Total Mobility services in Taranaki:
|
Area |
Company name |
Phone |
Email (non urgent queries) |
Wheelchair Hoist Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hawera |
Hawera Taxis |
06 278 7171 |
√ |
|
|
New Plymouth
|
Energy City Cabs |
06 757 5580 |
X |
|
|
New Plymouth Taxis |
06 757 3000 |
X |
||
| Driving Miss Daisy | 06 215 4283 021 769 529 |
jenny@drivingmissdaisy.co.nz | X | |
|
Stratford |
Stratford Taxis |
06 765 5651 |
X |
Can I use my voucher to pay for the full service that Driving Miss Daisy offers?
No. The subsidy applies only to the cost of the travel, not any additional services provided.
Can I call Driving Miss Daisy for pick-up on deman like a taxi?
No. All trips with Driving Miss Daisy must be pre-booked in advance. They are allowed to operate for only 13 hours a day, so booking ahead is essential.
Will Ironside Vehicle Society take my TM taxi vouchers?
No. The voucher books are for use with the approved taxi companies only. Ironside Vehicle Society is a not-for-profit organisation providing transport services for wheelchair hoist passengers, not a commercial taxi company. The Council does provide some Total Mobility funding to Ironside under a concession fare scheme agreement, but this is separate from the taxi voucher system.
Why can't we always get a hoist taxi service in New Plymouth after 5pm?
The unavailability of wheelchair hoist services after business hours, during weekends and public holidays is an issue within New Plymouth. Unfortunately, wheelchair hoist taxis are not available 24/7 because there is insufficient demand to make this commercially viable for the taxi companies involved. It is recommended that you always pre-book wheelchair hoist vehicles well ahead of time. If a taxi company with hoist vehicles cannot assist you for the specific time you require, Ironside Vehicle Society (phone 06 753 6469) may be able to help.
What after-hours/emergency services are available with wheelchair hoists?
Unfortunately, as noted above, there is not good after-hours coverage of wheelchair hoist vehicles outside of pre-arranged times. This is an ongoing issue that the Council is seeking to resolve in consultation with transport operators.