Taxi - TaxiCard is a smartcard, the same size as a credit card, which you use to pay for part of your journeys by taxi. It will have £100 worth of taxi fares on it when you receive it. You will pay the first £1.50 of any journey yourself, then the next £2.50 will be deducted from your card, then you will pay for the rest of the fare.

You will need to complete a TaxiCard application form which are available from the Nexus TaxiCard team. You can request an application form by either: email: access@nexus.org.uk writing: TaxiCard Administration Nexus Nexus House St James Boulevard Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4AX or telephone: 0191 203 3460, For further information visit the Nexus website or go directly to the TaxiCard page

Bus - Buses in Tyne and Wear are getting better, with new vehicles, greater comfort and more fast, direct services into our town and city centres. And on many main roads you can catch a bus every few minutes to key destinations. Four out of five are low-floor, easy access for baby buggies and wheelchairs

For more information on bus services visit the Nexus website, or you can download regional Maps here or the Timetables located here.

Metro - Tyne and Wear Metro is a light rail system with 60 stations serving Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, North Tyneside and South Tyneside. Stations are located at the heart of both Newcastle and Sunderland city centres, railway stations and at the airport - so getting around couldn’t be easier.

For details of fares and ticket prices visit the Nexus website here.

Blue Badge - The Blue Badge Scheme provides a national arrangement of parking concessions for people with severe walking difficulties, and those registered blind who travel either as drivers or passengers. It allows badge holders to park near their destination. There are certain criteria around who can apply for a Blue Badge, and children must be over two years of age to qualify. The leaflet 'Can I get a Blue Badge' gives more information around criteria.

For further information visit the Sunderland City Council website.

All applicants must contact 0191 520 5510 to apply for or renew a blue badge. You will be asked to complete an application over the telephone therefore it is important to have any information which may be relevant to your application to hand.

Nexus - have a number of schemes for people who need extra help. A couple are mentioned below or for more information, visit the Nexus website.

Bridge Card Scheme

The Bridge Card is a way of showing public transport staff its holder needs extra help during a journey whether because of age, disability, illness or simply lack of confidence. The card has been introduced by Nexus, in partnership with the five local authorities in Tyne and Wear and the areas three main bus companies.

Holders do not get a discount fare – but the card can be an invaluable aid in other ways. More information is available on the Nexus website.

Companion Card Scheme

A Companion Card lets you take someone with you free of charge when you travel on buses in Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland. It’s available to residents of Tyne and Wear who receive certain allowances and are not able to travel without a companion.

So if you need to take a companion with you in order to be able to use buses, and they normally have to buy a ticket, they no longer need to – as long as they are travelling with you, and you have your Companion Card with you. If you have a Metro Gold Card, your Companion Card will be valid on Metro too.

Programme for Independent Travel Training (PITT)

The Programme for Independent Travel Training (PITT) is an exciting travel training scheme that assists students of all ages to travel independently. This can be walking, cycling, by bus, light railway (tube/metro), train, tram, ferry or even aeroplane.

Independent travel training programmes are offered for all students with a learning difficulty and/or disability who are studying in full-time education. These programmes help to prepare students to travel independently either on evenings, weekends or after they have completed their education.

All of the training programmes are taught by fully trained and accredited staff who have undergone CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks. The programmes are flexible, considering each persons individual needs as well as the service provision in the area.

In the last two years the project has been established within special and mainstream schools as well as in the college setting. The results of this work are now being noticed, these include:

• Many schools and colleges have embedded Independent travel training in their curriculum
• Staff and students have received training and funding to maintain/sustain independent travel programmes
• An accredited course has been developed
• Links both local and national have been established to extend/develop ‘Living for life and work’
• The Independent Travel Adviser has been engaged in consultancy work nationally
• A dedicated travel training area has been developed and learning resource aids including booklets, CD’s and DVD’s have been made available

For more information and contacts please visit our website www.traveltraining.org.