For Tauranga resident Jan Nesbit, who is blind, the increase raises difficult questions about what she can afford to do.
“It means that I might not be able to go out to the physio, to the bank, to the hospital, which I quite often do.”
Nesbit was diagnosed as legally blind in 2009 after a progressive retinal disorder caused a sudden loss of sight at the end of 2008.
She said she had already lost so much independence that she did not want to lose more.
“I find it confining enough that I can’t see and rush around as much as I used to … I’d probably just shut myself in the house and just stay in the house.”
She said she had gone from someone who travelled throughout New Zealand for work with a medical company to being unable to drive or take public transport.
Now, as someone who relies on the Total Mobility Scheme, she is “afraid” of the changes.
“It’s taking money off people who can’t afford to have money taken off them and who need it.”
Nesbit said she requires transport support for appointments and for even routine tasks, such as having her toenails cut, which was something she said sighted people did not have to think about.
She said the subsidy reduction might sound small on paper but would be felt deeply.
“Going from 75% to 65% doesn’t sound much when you’re earning multi-thousands and thousands a week. But if you’re on a pension, that’s quite a bit of money.”
Jan Nesbit relies on the Total Mobility Scheme for essential travel
Blind Low Vision New Zealand chief executive Andrea Midgen said the reduction came at a time when many people were already struggling with the rising cost of living.
“We are concerned it will increase social isolation and further disadvantage a group that is already facing significant challenges.”
She warned that higher costs would deepen disadvantage, citing the 2025 Shining a Light on Blindness report, which found that 60% of people with severe vision impairment earned between $20,000 and $40,000 a year.
“Total Mobility is not a luxury for people who are blind, deaf blind, or have low vision. It’s an essential service.”
Midgen said the reduced subsidy would change people’s ability to work, attend medical appointments, buy groceries, and participate in everyday life.
“Total Mobility allows people to access their communities with dignity and safely.”
Age Concern Tauranga general manager Tanya Smith said the scheme played a vital role in helping older people maintain their independence.
“The Total Mobility Scheme empowers them to have the autonomy and go and do what they used to be able to do when they were driving.”
She expected the reduction would hit pensioners hard, who were already having to “tighten their belts” as living costs rose.
However, Smith said it did not outweigh the scheme’s benefits.
“It’s a really great tool to have in the toolbox. I don’t want to down it, because it’s still enabling people to get where they need to go if they’re financially able.”
A Ministry of Transport spokesperson said the Government announced the changes in December 2025, giving users six months’ notice to prepare.
The spokesperson said Total Mobility costs had increased rapidly after the subsidy rose from 50% to 75% in 2022.
The higher subsidy led to more users and trips, placing pressure on funding from the Crown, public transport authorities and the National Land Transport Fund.
“To address the rising costs and ensure the scheme is financially sustainable, the Government decided to reduce the fare subsidy.
“Reducing the subsidy will ensure the continued viability of the scheme.”
Bay of Plenty Regional Council transport operations manager Simon Bell said the upcoming changes were a result of a nationwide review of Total Mobility undertaken by central government.
“[The] regional council recognises that Total Mobility is an important service for people who cannot use public transport due to serious mobility constraints.”
Bell said it was too early to determine how demand or usage might change once the new subsidy took effect, but the council would continue to monitor use and feedback from users and providers.
Zoe Blake is a multimedia journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post.