The Harrogate Bus Company is working with volunteer trainers from Guide Dogs to make travel simpler and safer.
Volunteer puppy raisers accompanied by guide dog puppies of varying ages visited the bus firm’s Starbeck depot last week.
The aim was to familiarise themselves with every moment of a typical journey, from boarding the bus and taking a seat to stepping off at their chosen stop in a safe and secure way.
The volunteers have also shared their own journey feedback with the bus operator’s driver mentors – a hand-picked team of its most experienced drivers who work closely with newer driving colleagues to provide guidance and support.
The Harrogate Bus Company’s Operations Director Vitto Pizzuti said:
“Guide Dogs’ puppy raiser volunteers do a magnificent job in preparing the dogs for their vitally important work with blind or partially sighted people.
“We know from the feedback we’ve received how important it is that part of the guide dog training process covers how to help their owners to travel safely by bus, and as a responsible bus operator, safety is always our number one priority."
Vitto added:
“With this in mind, our driver mentors have spent time with the volunteers, so we can best understand how we can help and support customers who are training dogs, or are guide dog owners themselves, to travel with us.
“Guide dog puppy raisers are always welcome to travel free on all our buses – all they need to do is make sure the dog is wearing the Guide Dogs branded coat or lead flash when they step onto the bus.”
Puppy raiser volunteers provide a guide dog puppy with the vital foundation for its future role as a guide dog.
They look after a puppy for 12 to 16 months and guide them through training, socialisation, the introduction of new environments and experiences, while providing a loving home before they then start their advanced training at a Guide Dogs training centre.
Puppy Development Advisor at Guide Dogs North East, Fiona Barrow, said:
“A huge thank you to Transdev for providing free travel for our volunteers, and for hosting this invaluable training session.
“Many guide dog owners rely on public transport and so providing real-world settings like this is vital to the puppies’ development, helping to prepare them for their future roles as life-changing guide dogs for people with sight loss.
“We know that it can be tempting to approach our lovely dogs, but if you see one in training or working, it’s important that they aren’t distracted from their very important job of keeping their owner safe, so please admire them from a distance and give them time and space as they board the bus.”
Full details of all The Harrogate Bus Company’s bus routes and fare deals are available online at transdevbus.co.uk/the-harrogate-bus-company, and via the free Transdev Go mobile app.
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