General News
2 May, 2019
Learner driver program extended
Central Goldfields Shire’s Learner Driver Mentor Program (L2P) is set to continue for a further four years thanks to a State Government announcement made last month.
Central Goldfields Shire’s Learner Driver Mentor Program (L2P) is set to continue for a further four years thanks to a State Government announcement made last month.
The L2P program is free for Victorians aged between 16 and 20 who hold a current learner’s permit but do not have access to a vehicle, supervising driver or both, and is designed to help learner drivers gain the driving experience they need to apply for a probationary licence.
Central Goldfields Shire Council’s coordinator of the L2P program, Audrey Bartlett, said the extension is “fantastic news” for the shire’s young people.
“L2P provides the 120 hours of supervised driving required for learners to graduate to their P plates when they go for their licence. We do 20 hours of night driving, 120 hours overall and in all driving conditions with a volunteer driver,” she said.
“The program has been operating for six years now and in that time we’ve worked with around 150 young people and more than 100 of those drivers have been successful in getting their licence.”
Ms Bartlett said the L2P program teaches learner drivers the importance of being safe on the road and gives them a hands-on experience behind the wheel.
“There are plenty of reasons why this program is important. Young people may not have access to a supervising driver, so this is a great way to bridge that gap,” she said.
For more on this story see Page 8 of The Advertiser, Tuesday, May 3