Participants say driver mentor program is life changing, but the waitlist is long

Taylor Allie has been learning to drive through the Hobart PCYC program. (ABC News) The Hobart PCYC Learner Driver Mentor Program is facing high demand with more than 100 young people on the waitlist, while cost for professional lessons is "beyond their means". Learner drivers who don't have access to a car, supervisor, or paid lessons say they've waited more than a year for support learning to drive — and this is hindering opportunities in life. Those involved are hoping are hoping to get more volunteer mentors on board to reduce wait times. Link copiedShareShare articleOn a quiet Hobart street, 27-year-old learner driver Taylor Allie is behind the wheel, preparing to take the test for a provisional licence this month. But without her volunteer mentor, retiree David Laskey, in the passenger seat she said she would be at "square one" with a near empty log book. The Hobart PCYC's Learner Driver Mentor Program, in its sixth year, pairs learner drivers who cannot access a supervisor or vehicle with trained volunteer mentors for free to help them complete the hours needed to sit the test for a provisional licence. The program is currently supporting 24 learner drivers to become P-platers. But there are more than 100 young people waiting for a spot in the program, with some waiting more than a year, because of high demand and a shortage of volunteer mentors. Ms Allie, who did not have any family members to supervise her driving, waited a year for a mentor. "It's been a very big barrier in my adult life. So it's going to be really rewarding to finally be able to drive on my own," she said. The program currently supports 24 learners but more than 100 are on the waitlist. (ABC News: Crystal McKay) Ms Allie hopes to pursue work in community services, but found many jobs required a driver's licence. She said having her licence would grant her freedom and remove a major barrier to employment. "I'm really lucky to have found David and he's been a really cool mentor." David Laskey has helped four learner drivers through the program so far. (ABC News: Cameron Atkins) David Laskey said he had been volunteering as a driver mentor for a year. He said he got involved to give back to the community and has helped three other learner drivers so far. "I was quite shocked when my first learner driver told me that she'd been waiting for over a year," Mr Laskey said. "In fact, my most recent learner driver has been waiting almost two years. So I think that's a real problem." In Tasmania, learner drivers are required to complete 80 hours of supervised driving, including 15 at night, before they are eligible to sit their provisional licence test. Learner driver Hannah Robinson recently reached 65 hours in her logbook. The 27-year-old moved to Hobart from Melbourne a few years ago to travel and work. But without a driver's licence, she found it difficult to get around outside the city. Hannah Robinson says it was hard for her to find someone to supervise her driving. (ABC News: Cameron Atkins) "When I came here, I realised that having a licence was really important to be able to live my life," Ms Robinson said. Without family members in Hobart, she initially relied on friends to supervise her, but found it difficult to ask given their limited time, fuel costs and the pressure of using their own vehicles. "I don't have my parents here in Hobart … it's really hard to ask friends to do driving with you," Ms Robinson said. She also found professional lessons "extremely expensive". After a year on the waiting list, she was able to access sessions with the Hobart PCYC program. She said the program has made her a confident driver, describing it as "completely life changing." David Laskey and Hannah Robinson revise driving maneouvers together. (ABC News: Crystal McKay) "I'm so glad that I had the freedom to have the time to wait for that, but I know for other people, it's really hard when they live in a place without good public transport or they need it for work." Hobart PCYC general manager Allison Ritchie said demand continued to outstrip the supply of mentors. As well as a lack of access to a vehicle or supervisor, Ms Ritchie said the cost of professional driving lessons was also pushing up demand for the mentor program. The cost of completing the required logbook hours at a Hobart driving school can exceed $8,000 without multi-lesson discounts. Allison Ritchie says Hobart PCYC is encouraging more people to become mentors with the program. (ABC News: Luke Bowden) "There's just no way that many of the young people that access our learner driver mentor program would otherwise be able to get their licence," Ms Ritchie said. The program currently has 22 mentors volunteering their time. “We hate having a waiting list … so we would love to hear from more people who are keen to become mentors,” Ms Ritchie said. More than 20 regional NDIS clients have gone on to get their L-plates since completing a course w

Participants say driver mentor program is life changing, but the waitlist is long

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