By Ewen McRae
Most people take being able to drive for granted, and the Migrant Resource Centre is hoping to make that a reality for more people.
The MRC in St Albans runs a driver education program for new migrants, helping them with the practical and theoretical elements of getting out on the road.
The program has been running for eight years with the help of VicRoads.
Trainer Deng Yong Deng said it had been an invaluable program for newly arrived migrants.
“We book it out every time, and have a long waiting list of people who want to get involved,” he said.
“We cover ages from 21 up to 80s … for some people having a car makes such a huge difference. It could be the difference between getting a job or not, or even just being able to go grocery shopping with young kids.”
With the high cost of driving instructors, the MRC is hoping to secure its own car so participants can practise their driving skills and rack up the 120 hours necessary to obtain their licence.
“We simply don’t have the funding to get enough instructor hours for all our students, so a car would make a huge difference,” Mr Yong Deng said.
“The more hours we can give participants, the more confident they can be that when they go to take their driving test that they will pass.
“It’s a successful program, but a car would make things so much better.”
