Top Gear Mentor Driving Program
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Overview
The Top Gear Mentor Driving Program helps new arrivals to Australia, from the Sierra Leone, Ethiopian, Sudanese, Burundian, Afghan and Congolese communities, obtain a provisional drivers licence. The program gives participants access to a car and supervisory driver, at no cost. Participants have the opportunity to complete the 50 hours compulsory practical on road experience required to be eligible for a provisional licence and may be eligible for more help.
What are the aims of the project?
The aims of the project are to give people who may not have access to a car or licensed driver, the opportunity to get a provisional licence. By increasing the numbers of people with provisional licences, the program aims to reduce the incidence of unsupervised and unlicensed driving and also the risk to other road users. It also aims to reduce social isolation, reliance on infrequent public transport and friends for transport and increase opportunities for employment and access to community services.
What was involved?
The Migrant Resource Centre (Southern Tasmania) Inc (MRC) established a community road safety partnership with the Tasmanian Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (DIER) in 2005. This involved sharing resources to address local road safety issues through the development of initiatives. The partnership has proved to be very successful.
Stakeholder consultations were held to establish the areas of road safety where support was required. Feedback suggested that some people from newly arrived communities needed support to get their provisional licence, once they had their learners licence.
The Top Gear Steering Committee was formed to oversee the program, with members from the MRC, Hobart City Council, Glenorchy City Council, Tasmania Police and STEPS Employment and Training Solutions.
A Program Coordinator runs the program and reports to the Steering Committee. Volunteer Top Gear Supervising Drivers were recruited and trained by the Australian Institute of Advanced Motorists. The MRC provided cross cultural awareness training.
Funding
The 2008 Department of Immigration and Citizenship Settlement Grants Program will fund the program until 2011. Supervisor driver training was funded through the Community Road Safety Partnerships Program with the Australian Institute of Advanced Motorists. Funding for the purchase of a vehicle was provided by the Motor Accident Insurance Board (MAIB) in Tasmania but not long after receiving this funding Workskills Employment Solutions in Hobart donated a vehicle. This allowed the funding from MAIB to be used for running costs and project coordination. Partners and sponsors from the local community are acknowledged with logos on the Top Gear cars.
Who participated?
Since the inception of the program in 2006 over 50 people have participated.
What were the outcomes?
Since 2006, over 50 people have received their provisional drivers licence and over 25 dedicated volunteer supervisor drivers are participating in the program.
Future programs will include providing an automatic car, as some participants found the manual car difficult to manage. Emergency foot brakes for use by supervisor drivers have also been fitted into program cars.
One success of the program has included a former participant obtaining his full licence, who now volunteers as a supervising driver.
Where can I get more information?
Further information on this project is available.
Anne Hamilton
Telephone: 03 6221 0999
Email: reception@mrchobart.org.au