Travel training

Travel training is a key part of the authorities work towards delivering its Accessibility Strategy, as part of the Merseyside Local Transport Plan and is a supporting element to the successful Wirral Travel Team.

What is Travel Training?
Travel Training is a scheme to assist people who need extra help or support to make a journey between two places on their own and in safety. This journey can be as simple as finding their own way to the shops, or a more complicated multi-component journey to a place of work or education. Travel Training is a one to one service that can help, those who are not familiar with using public transport, or those having to make new or unfamiliar journeys, so they can access employment, healthcare, and other opportunities. With support we can help individuals to succeed in becoming independent travellers, and help them to get the best out of the opportunities in life.

Who can Travel Training help?
Travel Training is for all Wirral residents aged 16 and over, who need extra help or support to learn to use public transport. Public transport is becoming more and more accessible; Travel Trainers can teach you the skills or knowledge required to plan journeys. The scheme has been of great use assisting people with learning difficulties or disabilities, enabling them to become more independent. It may also be useful for:

• People for whom English is not their first language and who need help in understanding the transport system and information. 
• People with a physical and/or a sensory disability who need some support to access public transport. 
• Young adults who may have never travelled alone before

Transport can be a big barrier for people when looking for employment and therefore they often do not consider job opportunities if they are unsure how to travel to them.

Benefits of Travel Training

Travel Training once completed will benefit the user by:

• Decreasing reliance on car journeys
• Saving money by lowering the use of Taxi’s
• And most importantly, by improving the client’s independence, enabling them to travel with independently with confidence.

Client’s will be made aware of the importance of preparing for a journey before they set off and how this can make their journey more comfortable and safer for themselves, for example:

• Wearing suitable clothes and shoes
• Having the correct fare or pass
• Dealing with problems (What If’s?) such as bus running late, missing the stop or station.

Clients will also be given information and advice on, personal and road safety issues, to assist in their training.

The Wirral Travel Trainers have had a successful first year and have trained close to 80 individuals to travel independently. This has been possible thanks to the close relations the Wirral Travel Trainers have forged with local organisations such as Wirral Change, Reach Out, Connexions and the local Special Educational Needs schools to name a few.

Customer Testimonials about the Wirral Travel Trainers

• Sambi from Eastham: “It is reassuring to know that this kind of help is available to people from other Countries arriving in the UK”
• Nick from Prenton: “It was a great confidence boost. I learnt how to plan journeys and to get help from the travel team or Merseytravel”
• Sheila from Oxon: “My health at the moment involves a lot of hospital appointments both locally and to outside of Liverpool. Knowing this service is available to me has taken away the dread of the travelling involved”