Providing a safer future

PARENTS in the Kiama region will sleep soundly knowing their child can get home safely and cheaply with a safe travel voucher.

Speaking at the vouchers' official launch, youth worker Andrew Chatfield said the next step in the program, which had been running since mid-April, was to raise awareness for parents.

Matthew Fante, from the transport ministry, said the voucher system gave young people and their parents a sense of security knowing they could get home safely.

Under the safe travel system, people aged between 12 and 17 can buy a taxi voucher at a reduced rate to travel from the Kiama or Gerringong CBD to anywhere in the municipality.

The vouchers can be bought at Kiama Youth Centre, North Kiama Neighbourhood Centre and Kiama Library.

A few changes had been made since the program's start, including that vouchers can now be bought up to a week before use, although a specific date for their use must be nominated and people going to the same address can share a single voucher.

Kiama Cabs manager Gavin McClure was instrumental in setting up the program as a solution to the lack of public transport in the area.

The program has received a grant from the Ministry of Transport to set it up, but it is planned to become self-sustaining over time.

"Once the youth become familiar and trust this, I think the funding will be there for quite some time and that youth will learn to appreciate it," Mr McClure said.

"Also, all the drivers have an authorised driver's licence and have been screened to work with children."

He said that once the taxi drivers had become used to young people using the vouchers they would likely become priority customers.Mr Chatfield said the aim of the program was to get young people to take more responsibility for themselves when they went out.

"Check it out, and be responsible for how you're getting home," he said