Total Mobility

The scheme is open to people of all ages living within the boundaries of Hamilton City, Waikato District, Waipā, Matamata-Piako, Thames, Whitianga, Tokoroa or Taupō (within the defined Total Mobility zone as specified by Taupō District Council boundaries).

People living in residential care facilities such as rest homes are also eligible for the scheme.

People who use the scheme must have a physical, intellectual, psychological, sensory or neurological disability that prevents them from undertaking any one or more of the following components of a journey unaccompanied on a bus, train or ferry in a safe and dignified manner.

• Get to the place from where the transport departs
• Get on to the transport
• Ride securely
• Get off the transport
• Get to the final destination

The disability can be permanent, temporary (has lasted, or is expected to last for six months or more) or fluctuating (able to use public transport some, but not all of the time).

Examples of mobility limitations which would qualify for Total Mobility:

• If you’re unable to walk to the nearest bus stop or get on and off a bus because of pain, respiratory problems, inability to see or hear, you rely on complex walking aids or if you need someone else’s help to get around
• Total loss of or severe impairment of vision which prevents you from using public transport alone
• Intellectual or psychiatric disabilities which may mean you need help from someone else.

Anyone who has a disability living within the boundaries of Hamilton City, Waikato District, Waipā, Matamata-Piako, Thames, Whitianga, Tokoroa or Taupō (within the defined Total Mobility zone as specified by Taupō District Council boundaries) can apply for an eligibility assessment.

You can only apply through one of the accredited support agencies participating in the scheme. They are responsible for ensuring that membership and photo ID card applications are completed correctly and returned to the Waikato Regional Council.

The assessor will take an identification photo of you and collect information from you about your disability.

The Waikato Regional Council maintains a central register of people eligible to use the scheme and you must be registered before you can receive your Total Mobility ID card. The Waikato Regional Council doesn’t charge applicants a membership fee, but some agencies may charge you a fee for joining their organisation, or a one-off fee for assessing and registering your application.

You may need to provide evidence of your disability if the assessor doesn’t know your history. The assessor will get your permission if they need to gather more information about your disability so you can be properly assessed. If requested, please give them the name of your caregiver, ACC assessor, GP, specialist, physiotherapist, psychiatrist, social worker or occupational therapist. Without more information, you may not be able to participate in the scheme.

Your application will be evaluated and processed by the Waikato Regional Council to ensure you meet the criteria to become a Total Mobility user.

If your application is successful, you will receive a photo ID card to get you started at no charge. 

A Total Mobility Management Committee can make the final decision about whether a person is eligible for membership if there’s a dispute.

It takes about two to three weeks to register a successful applicant and issue a photo ID card.

All information from your application will be held in the Waikato Regional Council’s database. We will ensure that all names and personal information remain private and confidential – internal access to the database is restricted to appropriate staff.

We collect statistical information so we can report on the Total Mobility Scheme and plan for its future, but this information is held separately from the information used to assess your eligibility for membership. A private company processes the photo ID card and Waikato Regional Council keeps an electronic record of the ID card application form.

The Total Mobility taxi scheme may only be used for journeys that are not covered by travel income or assistance from another official source. Using financial assistance as well as the Total Mobility scheme – ‘double-dipping’ – is not permitted.

Tell your assessor if you get travel income or assistance from another source or what journeys you get financial assistance for. You may not be eligible for Total Mobility if you get other general financial assistance.

For each trip, details of the taxi journey are electronically collected, including the cost of the fare and the discount, by using the Total Mobility Ridewise System.

The Total Mobility subsidy is used for each trip you make. A return trip in the same taxi – for instance, to the shops and back home again – is counted as two trips. The taxi cannot be kept waiting while you carry out any tasks or ‘quick stops’.

Trip allocation

We monitor and reserve the right to limit the number of trips you are allocated each month if our budget requires such constraint.

Total Mobility entitlement is non-transferable

The Total Mobility ID card can only be used by the registered Total Mobility member. Any unauthorised use could mean the cancellation of your membership. Your family, friends and caregivers (able-bodied or not) can share your taxi, but you must be in the vehicle for the entire journey.

We cannot reimburse you for any trip you undertake without having handed over your valid Total Mobility ID card at the start.

Out of region voucher allocation

Vouchers will be issued on request if you notify Waikato Regional Council’s Total Mobility Coordinator of your intention to use the scheme in Hawkes Bay. The number of vouchers supplied to you will be assessed based on your need. Whilst we will always endeavour to supply the number of vouchers you have requested, we do reserve the right to limit voucher allocations if our budget requires such constraint.

Each trip entitles you to a 75 per cent discount on your taxi fare, up to a maximum fare amount. Please ensure you pay your portion of the fare at the time of the trip.

The maximum subsidised fare varies throughout the region:

• In Hamilton, maximum discount will be $22.50
• In Matamata-Piako, maximum discount will be $60
• In Taupō, maximum discount will be $18.75
• In Thames-Coromandel, maximum discount will be $22.50
• In Tokoroa, maximum discount will be $11.25
• In Waikato District, maximum discount will be $75
• In Waipā, maximum discount will be $18.75

For example in Hamilton, this means that if the fare is $35, the subsidy covers $22.50, and the user will need to pay the taxi driver $12.50. Please note that the subsidy varies depending on the region from which you start your Total Mobility trip.

If you lose your ID card, your replacement card will cost $10.00 payable to the Waikato Regional Council. To request a replacement card, call 0800 205 305 or visit the Transport Centre at 373 Anglesea Street in Hamilton. Once requested and payment has been made, it can take up to two weeks for your new card to arrive.

The scheme is accessible 24 hours a day but there are some restrictions:

• The scheme can’t be used where transport-related financial assistance is available from another official source (such as Workbridge or IDEA Services)
• The scheme is not valid for use in association with work related travel, but it can be used to get to and from work
• Residents of rest homes (not apartments) cannot use the scheme to pay for taxis for any transport such as medical appointments that is already covered by your residential provider
• Residents of rest homes (not apartments) cannot use the scheme to pay for taxis for any transport such as medical appointments that is already covered by your residential provider
• School children can not use the scheme for transport to and from school where the travel service is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education.

It’s important that you follow the policies and rules governing the scheme or you could be excluded from the scheme.

You can use your Total Mobility card in:

• Auckland
• Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua, Tauranga, Te Puke, Mt Maunganui, Papamoa and Whakatāne (limited service) 
• Canterbury, including Christchurch, Ashburton, Timaru and Waimate
• Gisborne (Vouchers required)
• Hawke’s Bay, including Napier, Hastings and Wairoa (on-demand service) –
Vouchers required
• Manawatū-Whanganui, including Feilding, Palmerston North, Levin, Marton
and Whanganui
• Marlborough including Blenheim
• Nelson and Tasman, including Nelson city, Richmond, Brightwater, Wakefield,
Māpua and Motueka (Golden Bay excluded)
• Otago, including Alexandra, Ōamaru, Balclutha, Queenstown, Wānaka and Dunedin
• Southland, including Invercargill and Gore
• Taranaki, including Stratford, New Plymouth, Waitara and Hāwera
• Waikato, including Hamilton, Taupo, Tokoroa and Waipa
• Wellington
• West Coast, including Greymouth, Hokitika and Westport (Vouchers required) 

Before you board a taxi in another region, confirm with the driver that they are an approved Total Mobility provider and will accept your electronic ID (or ID card and voucher). If not, you will need to check with another taxi provider.