The scheme and its cost was outlined at an Otago Regional Council meeting yesterday.
Total Mobility has three components that make up the service — installation of hoists, hoist taxi trips and non-hoist taxi trips.
Council planning and transport general manager Anita Dawe said in a report to the council Otago had recorded a significant increase in the number of Total Mobility users, with 4383 registered card holders in 2022-23 climbing to 6972 in 2024-25, a 59% increase.
The growth in eligible Total Mobility customers was in part due to the ageing population, with about 75% of clients being superannuants. The subsidy had been increased by central government in 2022 from 50% to 75%, which drew in more clients.
With increased awareness, affordability and changing demographics, pressure on the Total Mobility scheme was projected to continue to grow, which reflected the value Total Mobility provided as a vital transport option for the disabled community to access their daily transport needs, the report said.
Between 2021-22 and 2024-25, the total distance travelled doubled, and the average length of each trip increased by 29%.
She said the increase brought a cost and staff forecast total over-expenditure in Total Mobility services of $2,875,000 over three years to the end of June 2027
Council staff said there were two options which may change the budget of the scheme: capping the price of rides and a limit on the number of trips.
But doing this would not have a significant impact on the budget of the scheme. She said the Minister of Transport was set to release a review of the scheme very shortly — hopefully before Christmas — and that may give a guide of what needed to be done. All Mobility Scheme operators across the country had concerns over the cost of the scheme.
The council agreed to leave the scheme as it is.
Advocates for the scheme spoke at the public forum before the council meeting yesterday, urging the council to keep it as it is, as it was a real lifeline, helping older and disabled people get around.
Ms Dawe said the funds for the scheme came from general rates.
Cr Michael Laws said the contribution was not even among ratepayers and those in the Dunstan ward were paying a disproportionate amount compared to Dunedin users.
"This issue is not going away ... I just want to issue caution we are going to have to make a hard decision very soon. And that is going to come sooner rather than later. We just can’t have an open funding in this area given the serious costs in the future," he said.
