On 9th March, our students took part in a valuable workplace visit to TfL’s Dial-A-ride service, organised through Ductu. The purpose of these visits is to provide students with hands-on experience of real working environments and this first trip proved to be a great success.
Arriving at the Southeast London depot, students received a warm welcome by the Operations and Training Manager.
Refreshments were provided before the group was taken to the training room, where they watched an informative presentation explaining how Dial -A -Ride supports Londoners who are disabled or have mobility difficulties. 
The free service, funded by TFL enables people to travel to essential appointments, shopping trips, social clubs and community activities, helping reduce isolation and support independent living.
Students listened attentively and were fully engaged, asking thoughtful questions and gaining a clear understanding of how vital this service is to vulnerable members of the community.
They then discovered what a typical driver’s day involves –collecting keys, Blue badges and documents, carrying out strict vehicle safety checks and repeating these checks at the end of each shift. To experience this first – hand students wore hi -vis vests and carried out their own vehicle inspection themselves using the same check list as the drivers, gaining real – hands -on experience.
Throughout the visit, students were polite, inquisitive and exemplary in their conduct, earning very positive feedback from staff. 
This workplace visit provided valuable insight into the world of work and the vital role accessible transport plays in supporting London’s communities.