Additional needs children from Swindon overcome bus fear

Stagecoach West visited the children at Swindon’s Early Years Centre, driving a bus to the nursery for them to explore.

The aim was to allow the children to familiarise themselves with buses in a safe, fun, and supportive environment.

The Early Years Centre children on the bus (Image: Stagecoach West)

The visit took place after a parent said their child was afraid of buses, causing them difficulty using public transport.

It was thought that access to a static bus would alleviate the child's anxiety and enable their family to use this mode of transport more frequently.

One of the children's parents said she was "extremely grateful".

She added: “My son, who has Autistic Spectrum Disorder, is very strict and rigid with routines and this creates a barrier for him to do everyday tasks like travelling on public transport.

"It was a massive help for both me and him to be able to board the bus in a relaxed environment without any pressure."

The Early Years Centre children on the bus (Image: Stagecoach West)

The nursery children met the bus driver, explored the bus, practiced buying a ticket, and got comfortable with the on-board experience.

All these activities were to help the children better understand what a bus ride entails.

Karen Coventry, commercial and marketing director, Stagecoach West, said: "It was lovely for the Stagecoach team to meet all the children at the Early Years Centre.

"They thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the bus and familiarising themselves with how to board and get off.

The children explored the bus in a safe environment (Image: Stagecoach West)

"For many children, bus travel is just as fun as the destination itself so anything we can do to lessen anxiety and answer any questions or concerns they may have at this early age is great.

“Buses have a key part to play in providing greener transport solutions and building a sustainable future.

"The sooner we engage with the next generation of passengers and familiarise them with buses, the better.”

Anne O’Donoghue, Portage teacher, added: "The team went out of their way to understand the children’s needs and help make it work for the children who attend our Special Tots group.

“The visit was a huge success, and it was lovely to see the little boy who was particularly anxious about buses happily come on the bus and explore it with his mum."