Call goes out for volunteer driving instructors

Driver Mentoring Tasmania state co-ordinator Garry O'Byrne said learners were being held back from taking advantage of the state government funded Wheels 4 Work program due to low mentor numbers.

"A mentor can give as little as one hour a week or whatever they can afford in time," he said.

"We have 17 programs around the state and they operate on a needs basis of someone that we decide is disadvantaged enough to join the program and that can be that they don't have money for lessons or someone to take them.

"It allows them to have someone sit beside them and make up the 50 hours required to go for their provisional one licence."

Mentor Shan Porter said it was a rewarding experience helping people gain the licence, which ultimately could help people gain employment or further education.

"I started in February ... I enjoy being on the opposite side of the car, helping out and giving them advice on their driving," he said.

"Teaching them how to drive a manual can be challenging, I try to keep the less experienced drivers out of the city and away from schools."

The are 150 volunteers statewide and all must hold a full driver's licence, undergo a national police check and hold Working With Children accreditation.

To volunteer call Sally Cocker (Launceston) on 0409 183 322 or Rick Mansfield (Westbury, Deloraine and West Tamar) on 0459 591 567.