Cabbies get training to meet needs of old folk
SCHEME IS PART OF BIG CAMPAIGN TO CREATE ‘AGE-FRIENDLY MANCHESTER’
A TRIAL scheme to help taxi drivers become more aware of the needs of their older passengers has been launched.
The free training course has been launched by the Inspired Taskforce, an active group of older people based at Levenshulme Inspire community centre, in response to feedback from older people across Greater Manchester.
The training, developed with the support of local firm InTime Taxis, was commissioned by Age Friendly Manchester, a partnership which sees organisations, groups and individuals across the city playing their part in making Manchester a great place to grow older.
The Taskforce consulted with local older people and taxi drivers, to get to the heart of the issues, while also researching different models of age-friendly transport around the world.
The taxi training is free and all drivers receive a certificate upon completion.
Lou Armer, Taskforce organiser, said: “As people get older, mobility and transport can become quite big issues in terms of maintaining their independence and combatting social isolation.
“Levenshulme Inspire does a lot of work with older people to keep them active and accessible transport plays a vital part in making this happen.
“When the taxi drivers came in for a first look at the training, it was lovely to see how well they got on with everyone. They offered real insight into some of the situations we were exploring and we could see that they genuinely care about their customers. “This is what we need to build on.” Miranda Lane, Assistant Manager at InTime Taxis said: “As a company, we feel that it is important to give back to the community. “This taxi awareness course is a step in the right direction for both drivers and customers.”
Coun Sue Cooley, Manchester council’s lead member for Age Friendly Manchester, said: “This project is a wonderful example of the type of creative thinking and collaboration which is needed to make Age Friendly Manchester a reality.
“It’s great to see community organisations and businesses working together to improve the quality of life for older people in our city.”
Inspire have also gained international acclaim for their ‘Graffiti Grannies’ campaign, which also won them a Spirit of Manchester award in the category of Most Innovative Project.
For further information, contact Lou Armer at lou.armer@lev-inspire.org.uk, or go to www.lev-inspire.org.uk/ age-friendly-awareness-training-for-taxidrivers.