What steps should be taken to train the operators of the transit ,in order to provide professional service to older adults?Are the operators aware of the needs of older adults as their passengers?
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What steps should be taken to train the operators of the transit ,in order to provide professional service to older adults?Are the operators aware of the needs of older adults as their passengers?
Comments (12)
Older adults have specific ridership needs. The operators of transit must be trained accordingly to meet those needs in a professional manner.
There is normally extensive training for bus drivers to deal with passengers who have special needs, but that training is more likely to focus on persons with disabilities than older adults per se. Seema, in your experience what are the specific ridership needs of older adults that should be addressed in driver training?
I believe that sensitivity training is needed for anyone that works with older adults as well as the disabled. Including some of these individuals in operator in-service trainings is a great benefit, as they are able to give a better assessment of their needs.
Very well stated. Yes sensitivity training is crucial as well including the service users in the training.
Hi Dave,thanks. In my experience as a trainer, I believe that older adults are not to be considered as (Persons with Disabilities)PWD (s). They are infact,a class of ridership that loves to be active and actively engaged within the fabric of the society. They are rich in experience and generous in sharing. Transit Operators need to be trained to treat them with respect,courtesy and dignity like any other passenger.This ridership, requires more of a behavioural understanding from the operator rather than training from the technical end.
Yes some riders may require physical assistance with thier walkers or canes or lending a hand or even just being watchful of their step as they get in or out of the vehicle.
Houston Metro initiated a practice of having people with disabilities attend all-hands bus operator training sessions to thank them for curbing the bus, using the accessibility equipment, encouraging people to free up priority seating space, etc. They may have replicated this for seniors - a great idea we can all do.
All of our drivers are required to attend 16 hours of Special Transportation Training that includes Defensive Driving, Passenger Assistance A & B, Abuse Prevention & 1st Aid. This training is required every 3 years. It covers assisting/transporting senior, disabled and vulnerable adults.
RE: CTAA's PASS (Passenger Service and Safety) training and certification course for drivers.
NOTE: I work at CTAA(the Community Transportation Association of America).
Although PASS emphasizes service to passengers with disabilities in its publicity, it provides excellent training on how to transport older persons. First, the foundation of the entire training is respect for each passenger so even though specific approaches to persons with disabilities and older persons may differ, the underlying concept is the same.
Second, the section, Transporting An Aging Society, provides succinctly valuable directions on what conditions to be aware of, and how to report what he/she sees. The drivers are trained not to make any judgments, but to report changes to his/her supervisor who may want to report them to the agency's social service staff or Area Agency on Aging.
To learn more about PASS, visit CTAA's website, www.CTAA.org. See also the article in the current issue (Nov-Dec 2011)of CTMag digital.
For further information, see Delivering Community Transportation Services: Report on the Roles, Responsibilities and Contributions of Paid Drivers, Beverly Foundation and Community Transportation Association of America, (January 2009)Available on CTAA's and the Beverly Foundation's websites.
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Two favorite anecdote about training drivers on how to treat older passengers:
o The lead trainer of drivers for a community transit system told me that during training he always instructed his drivers "to treat every passenger the way you would treat a relative...a relative you like."
o A driver for the Sunshine Bus, Saint Johns County, Florida, told me that when he first began driving, he tried to serve every passenger the way he would want his mother treated. Now, however, that he was getting older himself, he treated every passenger that way he hoped a driver would treat him someday.
Thanks Jane. I would like to know more about the Passenger Safety and Service Certification Course.I did happen to go through the courses by NSCT and Project Action (Red Seal). Very interesting.I will also visit the CTAA's website also.
Hi, Seema,
I am glad to hear you want to learn more about CTAA's Passenger Safety and Service Certification Program. Our Training Director, Len Cahill, said he would be glad to hear from you, and from anyone who is also interested. Len's e-mail is: cahill@ctaa.org and his telephone number is: 202-415-9653. Stephanee Smith, Administrative Assistant for Training Dept is also happy to talk with you and others interested in PASS. Her contact information is: e-mail: smith@ctaa.org; tel number: 415-0220
Thanks Jane. I will be in touch with them via email.
Seema
Seema and others interested in training -
More about PASS. It is now online http://training.ctaa.org/
Also, 30,070 drivers have successfully completed PASS course and been certified since its inception.(I just learned that this week.)
JaneH