The Sprout

Independence On The Buses

Posted by Sam (Sub-Editor) from Cardiff - Published on 21/03/2010 at 12:17
1 comments » - Tagged as Education, Travel, Work & Training

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Cardiff is set be the first place in Wales to implement a new scheme to help SEN (Special Educational Needs) pupils going to and from school.

The Independent Travel Training Scheme will give these young people greater independence and prepare them better for life after school than the present system.

Currently, 740 young people in Cardiff who require extra assistance receive free taxis or minibuses for their commute to school.

This new scheme aims to get these young people on the buses, and will careful assist and provide them with the necessary skills and confidence to eventually ride independently. Trainers will monitor their progress close at hand and from afar.

The pupils selected for the trial have been chosen by their teachers and will receive specially tailored one-to-one mentoring. They will learn about time management, how to read timetables, even how to pay fares and flag the actual bus down. They may even be told what the hell the purpose of that free yellow bus that circles the city centre is (have you ever seen anyone on it?). Drivers will be made aware of the scheme, so they might appear human occasionally.

While the majority of people would think that taking the bus is no big deal and that a free taxi would be ace, for those that don’t have the choice, the lack of independence can be stifling. Here’s hoping the scheme takes off successfully and these young people enjoy the ride.

Go on, have some info about transport.