Press Release: Community Safety Bus Gets Gorrillaz Style Make Over
10 April 2006
Translink’s specially equipped, award winning Community Safety Bus has been given a complete makeover, with eye-catching graphics and livery inspired by the virtual pop group Gorrillaz, and a new on-board DVD and hidden digital CCTV system.
Pictured surveying the new livery are (Left to right) David Stewart, Andrew Dyer, Jonathan Rainey and Mark Wylie from Ben Madigan school in North Belfast, with Translink Community Safety Officer Susan O’Neill and Conal Devitt, Head of the Community Safety Unit.
Manned by bus drivers, who are also trained safety officers, the bus is equipped to give pupils information on issues such as personal safety while using public transport, and illustrates the potential impact of antisocial activities like vandalism and trespassing through contemporary media including Translink’s new TravelSafe DVD And Learning Pack.
“Since its launch four years ago, over 100,000 school children and young people from across Northern Ireland have been onboard the Community Safety Bus,” explained Safety Bus Co-ordinator, Susan O’Neill.
“To coincide with the production of the new TravelSafe Schools DVD, we’ve updated the look and facilities available on-board the bus to ensure that the school children and young people we work with get the best possible experience.
“The new livery and graphics were designed to reflect the diversity of the Northern Ireland community who use Translink services on a daily basis. The funky artwork represents everyone from school children to wheelchair users, senior citizens to parents with young children and it gives the young people a bus they can really identify with and take ownership of.
“Over the years we’ve found that young people respond much better to first hand experience and information that doesn’t ‘preach’ at them, so we’ve worked hard to develop an approach which is designed to get the message across without being patronising!
“In addition, we’re now also using our new 'Travel Safe' Learning Pack. The pack has been specifically developed for use by Key Stage 3 pupils and their teachers and aims to encourage students and young people to think about safety issues and the effect their behaviour on public transport can have on themselves and on those around them.
“So far, the new livery, the TravelSafe pack and other onboard initiatives have been well received and we are looking forward to the next 100,000 visitors!
For further Information on the Community Safety Bus and other safety initiatives, or to obtain a free copy of 'Travel Safe', teachers and youth workers can contact their local depot, the Marketing Department on 028 9089 9400, or they can visit Translink's website www.translink.co.uk
Ends
For further press information, contact Keelin Haughey at Morrow Communications
tel: 028 9039 3837
email: k.haughey@morrowcommunications.com
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