Travel scheme gives teens confidence to use bus

A teenager helped to use public transport by a confidence building scheme has become one of the project's mentors and has already passed his skills on to his best friend.

Alfie, 16, was helped by the team at York Independent Living and Travel Skills (YILTS), first to get on his bike and then to use the bus.

The scheme aims to help young people with special educational needs to develop the "life skills" needed to use public transport independently, and end their reliance on taxis and lifts from parents.

Alfie, who has shared his new-found confidence with his friend, Tyler, also 16, said: "It was daunting on my own, but it's not any more. It's a big achievement, I'm proud of myself."

The City of York Council-run scheme has been supported by North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith, with money from his transport budget used to fund four "travel trainers".

The authority said by helping Year 6 and 7 pupils to use public transport rather than rely on taxis there was the potential to save an average of £6,500 per person per year.

Alfie said the travel trainers had talked him through every step of travelling independently, first through a "bikeability" scheme, to help him onto two wheels, before moving onto the buses.

"They would plan and explain what you were going to do, and then we would just do it," he said.

"If you were struggling or stuck they would be there. You were never on your own.

"It was a bit daunting the first time I got on the bus but they had built my confidence and said, 'come on, you can do this'.

"We went to town and back, we'd look at the timetable and I put my hand out to stop the bus. I was so proud afterwards because I want to be grown up, to go into town, to meet my friends and be independent."

Tyler said when he first met Alife he was struggling to build the confidence to use buses on his own but that his friend had been able to pass on the tips he had learned.

"He started by showing me how to put your hand out to stop the bus and use the bus app," Tyler said.

"I was quite nervous doing the roads but got the hang of it over time. I'm definitely more confident now."

Alfie said the first time he knew the work he had done with Tyler had worked was when he got a message from his friend, simply saying "I've been out."

"I'm proud that I've been able to help him and build him up," he said.

"We've both been through it and we're both the same, we're grown up now.

"A few years ago I was at home, being taxi-ied about or being dropped off, but now it feels like I'm free.

Tyler added: "It feels so good to have this confidence. Thank-you to Alfie for helping me."

Kate Ravilious, executive member for transport at City of York Council said there was a "real demand" for the scheme and she was "really keen" to keep it going.

A council spokesperson added: "If we can travel train a Year 6 or Year 7 pupil and get them to being independent, there is a potential saving of £6,500 per year per pupil over as many as 15 years, due to Education, Health and Care Plans being valid up to the person reaching 25 years old.

"The earlier we can work with pupils the better; the cumulative benefits of travel training are more confident, independent young people."

Lauren Dent-McShane, who manages the YILTS scheme, said: "We saw young peoples' potential and trained them up - they have so much to give.

"They have that lived experience, so who better to pass on that experience than the young people themselves. It's about empowering them to share that knowledge.

"Alfie and Tyler have done so well and we are so proud - there is no stopping them now."

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