It’s end of term for Metro’s Junior SAFEmark team, Jo Pudney and Debra Wheeler.

During the last seven weeks of term they ran Junior SAFEMark training sessions for over 1,800 Year Six pupils from 56 West Yorkshire schools.

Junior SAFEMark training is for Year Six pupils who are likely to be using public transport on their own for the first time will be starting secondary school in September. Almost 8,000 Year Six pupils have benefited from Junior SAFEMark workshops since Metro introduced them to West Yorkshire in 2004.

Over the seven weeks, Jo and Debra have worked with local bus operators and Council Road Safety departments to:

• run workshops on planning journeys using Metro’s online journey planner, bus timetables and the yournextbus texting service;
• enable the pupils to carry out on-bus role plays to get them thinking about travelling safely and confidently;
• get the pupils talking about Green Transport choices, including walking

They have also issued over 420 pupils with Metro PhotoCards, which they need to get half fare bus and train travel in West Yorkshire.

“All of the kids we met were dead enthusiastic, which meant that despite doing the workshops almost 50 times, we got something fresh from all of them” says Debra.

“Working with the kids was great fun but really hard work," said Jo "It’s down to the help and support we got from our colleagues in Education Transport that we made it through!”

Both Jo and Debra have some amusing moments from their seven weeks out on the road. They especially liked the feedback that ‘buses are big blind and deaf,’ ‘buses are not as scary as you think’, and the warning that if you’re not careful near buses, ‘you’ll get your head mashed like mashed potato’.

Their favourite poster, shown here warns you should ‘Watch out for cars,’ and then just to make sure, ‘and anything else on the road’.

“It’s nice to think in September when they are starting their new schools, catching the bus will be one thing the pupils we have met won’t be scared of,” said  Jo.

“Since its introduction pupils, parents and teachers have told us that SAFEMark has helped to give pupils the confidence and ability to start using public transport on their own,” said Metro Chairman Councillor Ryk Downes.

“We hope that these 11 and 12 year-olds, who are the bus and train passengers of tomorrow, will share what they have learnt with their parents and encourage them to consider public transport as the green alternative when travelling.”

“Since its introduction pupils, parents and teachers have told us that SAFEMark has helped to give pupils the confidence and ability to start using public transport on their own,” said Metro Chairman Councillor Ryk Downes.

“We hope that these 11 and 12 year-olds, who are the bus and train passengers of tomorrow, will share what they have learnt with their parents and encourage them to consider public transport as the green alternative when travelling.”