Over 3,750 Year 6 pupils at pupils at over 100 of West Yorkshire's schools have learned about using public transport in this year's Junior SAFEMark events organised by Metro.

Metro's education team has visited schools in all five West Yorkshire districts to deliver the training which gives the 11 year-olds the skills and confidence to use buses and trains on their own when they start secondary school in September.

During the sessions pupils get to learn to read and use timetables, and use tools such as Metro's yournextbus real-time texting service and online journey planner.

Most also get a hands on safety session on a real bus, learn about Green Transport and have the chance to get their Young Person's Photo Card, which they need to travel on buses at half fare from the age of 11.

Confident passengers

Some of the kids haven't used buses before and can be a bit nervous when they arrive so it's satisfying to take them through the training and send them away as informed and confident little passengers," said Mike Nolan, Metro's Education Transport Development Officer.

"It's also a chance for them to get a Young Person's Photo Card which is their passport to half-price bus travel and this summer's Metro Active offer which gives them bus travel all over West Yorkshire for £1 throughout August," he added.

Metro organises transport to and from school for more than 40,000 West Yorkshire pupils, aged from 4 to 18, and 150 of its purpose-built 'Mybus' yellow buses transport almost 10,000 pupils to and from 136 of the county's schools. It introduced Junior SAFEMark workshops to West Yorkshire in 2004 and by the end of this year's sessions approaching 13,000 West Yorkshire pupils will have benefited from them.

More about SAFEMark training on generationM website