Do you have a learning disability?

GOJO would like you to take a trip on public transport with your parent, carer or a responsible adult. Here are some tips to plan your journey.

Planning your journey

You should decide where you want to go and plan the journey in advance. Ask your parent or carer to help you. You can plan what sort of transport you want to use and look at timetables.

If the trip is to an important appointment you might want to practice the trip beforehand.

When you are on your trip, do not worry if the train, bus or tram arrives a bit late. This sometimes happens.

If you do not like travelling with lots of people, plan your trip for a time when fewer people use public transport.

The times when fewer people use public transport are called off peak. This is usually from 10am to about 3pm and then after 7pm.

If you are on the bus and don’t know where to get off, ask the driver to tell you or ask another passenger.

Tickets and passes

Bus passes

If you have a learning disability you may be able to get a bus pass. This gives you cheaper fares. In some places you can also use passes on trains and trams as well as buses. Ask your council if you can get a bus pass.

Buying tickets on the internet

You can buy train and some bus tickets on the internet. This means you can buy your ticket at your own speed. It makes your journey quicker and easier because you do not have to queue at the station.

Smart cards

These are cards you use to pay instead of cash when you travel. You can use them on some buses, trains, tubes and trams. You put the card over a card reader and the machine takes the amount of your fare off the card. This saves time and is easier than using cash. If you have a disability you may be able to get a card for free or just pay a small amount.

Season tickets

A lot of transport companies sell season tickets. You only need to buy a ticket once a week or once a year instead of every time you travel. It can also be cheaper to use a season ticket.