Decimalizatiori
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Coventry chooses individual training
• A working party set up by Coventry Corporation Transport to study the introduction of staff training in readiness for Decimal D-day has decided to employ individual training. The working party consists of two representatives from administration, two from the traffic office and three from the platform staff.
It soon became clear to the working party, writes Derek Moses, that to try to use conventional methods such as classroom training, was out, and the only effective way of presenting the instruction to one-man operators and conductors was individually. The party decided to approach consultants and ESL (Bristol) Ltd. agreed to the method of programmed individual instruction. • The programme was based on a survey of Coventry to establish local needs and ensure that the training given was that required, was always the same and was readily available for initial training, revision and for the training of staff entering just before the changeover. For administrative and economic reasons it was considered better to present the instruction in book form rather than by teaching machines.
ESL (Bristol) Ltd. proposed that three books should be prepared, designed to be easily slipped into a uniform pocket. The contents of the books are as follows: Book 1, The changeover; decimal coins and their s d value; the two units of money; the collecting-in of sterling coins; writing amounts in new pence; new pence in a pound and writing amounts in whole pounds; writing amounts in pounds and new pence—use of the decimal point; revision.
Book 2, Entering new pence on paying-in slip; addition of decimal amounts; subtraction of decimal amounts; multiplication of decimal amounts; 'bagging-up' money; speaking in decimal terms; revision.
Book 3, Introduction to giving change, discount tickets, change points; paying for fares in decimal coins and giving change; paying for fares in sterling coins and giving change; tendering high policy—multiples of sixpence; paying for fares in combination of coinage and giving change; being helpful and keeping the buses running; revision.
The above is the first programme of its kind and is specially developed for the bus industry. While the 'booklets have already been validated by ESL, Coventry Corporation Transport is planning a full-scale trial and 20 volunteers from the platform staff will be trained. The initial session will be on Tuesday November 4 and the "road test" at the end of the trial course will be on November 27.