The City of Tshwane is assisting the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind by making its A Re Yeng bus service available as a training ground for puppies as they are trained by the Guide-Dogs Association’s trainers to become guide dogs.
In observing World Sight Day with the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind, the City had its first training bus trip with these special four-legged heroes.
The City is delighted to be part of this very important training programme of the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind to enhance the lives of visually and physically impaired people and children with autism.
The MMC for Roads and Transport, Cllr Dikeledi Selowa, says an integrated public transport system based on universal access will yield a system that allows Tshwane’s residents to explore their full potential regardless of age, gender, race or physical abilities. “It is a big step for these pups as they start their journey, using all their senses to learn the sights, sounds and features of the A Re Yeng system and being empowered to serve as working dogs. I see these pups as a major enabler for the uptake of the A Re Yeng service – the more people that can make use of the service, the more confirmation we have that the service has been appropriately designed. Ridership becomes our primary performance indicator.”