Bus fares will be free for disabled people in the Bay of Plenty by July, a move a disability advocate says is "awesome".
Rotorua resident Tim Lee. Photo: Rotorua Daily Post /Andrew Warner
Bay of Plenty Regional Council Regional Transport Committee chair Lyall Thurston announced the move to applause at a Rotorua Lakes Council committee meeting last week.
The scheme is expected to impact fare revenue by $139,000.
Thurston was attending the district council meeting as part of the regional council's consultation process for its 2021-2031 Long-term Plan.
"We're sitting here telling you what we're going out to consult on, I'm going to tell you something we're not going to consult on which will get you really excited," he told the committee.
"One in five New Zealanders have a disability which impacts on their daily life and we are ... going to be rolling out free fares for mobility [impaired] and severely disabled people in this community in the foreseeable future."
On Monday, Thurston told Local Democracy Reporting the plan was to replicate a template established by the Waikato Regional Council, which made fares free for people with disabilities in 2019.
It was extended to carers at the end of 2020.
The free bus travel in Waikato was available to people with a permanent or short-term disability of longer than six months.
Thurston, who is a former president of CCS Disability Action said making fares free for disabled people was long overdue.
"It's exciting stuff."
He said the change was answering a long-held call from people with disabilities, carers and parents and would allow people to better engage in their communities.
Thurston said he wanted the scheme "rolled out yesterday". He hoped it would be extended to carers as had been done in Waikato.
Rotorua resident Tim Lee, who uses a wheelchair, said he didn't personally use buses but said it was a "very inclusive thing to do".
"It's a positive step in the right direction."
Fellow wheelchair user, CCS Disability Action access co-ordinator Max Hales said it was "awesome".
"It will help disabled people use public transport more and get out into the community more."
Bay of Plenty Regional councillor Lyall Thurston (centre) at the Rotorua district council on Thursday last week Photo: Rotorua Daily Post /Andrew Warner
He hoped the idea would catch on nationwide, a sentiment echoed by Midland region general manager Colene Herbert, who challenged "all councils to do the same".
Disabled Persons Assembly chief executive Prudence Walker said her group was excited by the decision.
"We've heard from disabled people in Waikato that the free bus concessions have made a real difference to their lives. People are able to get out and visit people and do things that they would never have done before because cost was a barrier."
She said statistics suggested disabled people were more likely to be lonely than non-disabled people, with disabled people being four times more likely to feel lonely most of the time than non-disabled people.
"Removing the cost barrier of public transport is one practical step that we can take to enable disabled people's greater participation in their community."
Bay of Plenty Regional Council transport and urban planning manager James Llewellyn confirmed people with a "permanent mobility impairment" would be eligible for free fares on all regional council-contracted urban and inter-regional bus services.
It included anyone with a permanent mobility impairment that meant they could not drive a private vehicle, which included members of the council's Total Mobility scheme.
Total Mobility is a council programme which helps people with serious mobility constraints access subsidised door-to-door transport.
Llewellyn said the permanent mobility impairment could be physical, intellectual, psychological, sensory or neurological.
"The scheme does not include people with temporary disabilities or caregivers."
He said the regional council was working with disability groups and agreed assessors in the lead up to 1 July to promote the concession and start the application process. An application form was under development and once ready would be made available in hard copy and online.
He said the reduction in fare revenue was expected to be $139,000 each year.
Local Democracy Reporting is a public interest news service supported by RNZ, the News Publishers' Association and NZ On Air.