Busing Transport Myths

Transport Myths

By Rob Woolley DSC

Transport is possibly the most frustrating element of NDIS service delivery. It’s boggled our minds and frustrated us for years. It’s a complex cocktail of links to old service systems, mainstream interfaces, unclear information and out-of-date workarounds. And it only accounts for 3.7% of all NDIS spend – what a lot of stress for 3.7%! But being able to go places is, you know, kind of important. Access to transport underpins so many of the 1.6 million goals in NDIS plans across Australia, so it’s a vital part of most providers’ support models (and, by extension, providers’ businesses and reputations). When it comes to transport, there’s a lot of confusion and a lot of misconceptions. So, in this article, we’re busting some of the most common transport myths we see making the rounds and driving us all around the bend (we promise, no more transport puns).

Transport can only be claimed from the Transport Support category in Core. True or false?

False Two types of transport are claimable from different parts of the plan: Activity Based Transport: Claimed from any of the line items in 6 different support categories General Transport: Claimed from the transport support category

If you don’t have funding allocated under transport, you can’t purchase general transport. True or false?

False If you have no transport funding allocated in your plan, you can use your core funding flexibly on transport.

If you do have transport funding allocated in your plan, and it’s paid as a periodic payment, then you can’t spend other core funding on general transport. True or false?

True This periodic payment is usually paid fortnightly and straight into the person’s bank account, and it is listed on the person’s NDIS Plan. When this is the case, the person does not have flexibility to spend their other core funding on general transport.

Every participant can get transport support in their plan. True or false?

False The NDIA states that transport funding takes into account whether the person can use public transport without substantial difficulty (due to their disability) and other factors like whether the person is accessing any relevant taxi subsidy scheme. Transport funding is part of the planning process. Transport funding in plans are cases that are brought most commonly to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

When delivering Activity Based Transport, providers have to follow the per-kilometre prices listed in the Price Guide.

False The Price Guide lists $0.85 per km ($2.40 per km for a vehicle that is modified for accessibility or a bus) as a reasonable contribution; however, unlike most prices, this is only a recommendation. (BigDog charges a flat

rate of $10 per hour for up to 20kms in one of our standard vehicles) Transport must be provided in vehicles owned and operated by the registered provider. True or false?

False The NDIA does not place any restrictions on the ownership or management of vehicles that are used to deliver transport.