Report
Disability Disability
Report: inaccessible transport limits disabled people’s participation
Researchers found that, as of May 2024, New Zealand had no known projects or research examining disabled people’s experience of subsidised mobility.
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) released analysis of international research on subsidised mobility services, sometimes the only option that lets disabled people take part in everyday activities.
The analysis came out in May 2024. It included case studies of subsidised mobility services internationally and findings from interviews with international researchers.
The case studies and interviews looked at Northern Ireland, Spain, and Switzerland. Researchers also made recommendations about how to improve subsidised mobility services for disabled New Zealanders.
The report emphasised that some disabled people participate less fully in society because of inaccessible transport. Even with better public transport access, some people still cannot use it, international researchers interviewed in the report noted.
Researchers found that the return on investment (ROI) of subsidised mobility has not been adequately measured, in New Zealand or internationally. Current data and studies are limited and often leave out lived experience of disability.
Technology was considered helpful for delivering subsidised mobility, but not always necessary for a quality service. The most common technology described includes software for booking and scheduling rides, online booking and fleet management.
The literature reviewed in the report finds this technology can be expensive and challenging to use, especially for community groups made up of mostly volunteers. For older people and people with lower incomes, technology improvements may become a barrier to using the service.
Funding and scheduling are the two main challenges, according to the literature reviewed. In the USA, subsidised mobility customers have the right to unlimited rides because of legislation. Funding is capped in the UK, Switzerland, and Barcelona, which means rides are limited.
Limiting rides limits disabled peoples’ participation in society, the report says. It adds that disabled people’s organisations do not endorse this approach.
Booking a ride closer to the time is valued by those using subsidised mobility services, as opposed to booking hours or days ahead. Yet organisations seek efficient routes for picking up and dropping off multiple passengers, so flexibility means routes cannot be planned in advance.
Most of the report focuses on international literature, as New Zealand-based literature is scarce. The full report is on the NZTA website as Research report 721, The characteristics of subsidised mobility services.