Motability Scheme lessons in Finningley
Motability driving lessons in Finningley bring an automatic, dual controlled car to your home, so getting to a lesson is never the hard part. For disabled learners in a small village, a licence can open up work and study as well as a social life, and we plan every session around your needs.
Independence for disabled drivers in a village
Living in Finningley without a car often means relying on the buses that run towards Doncaster and Bawtry, or on lifts from family. For many disabled people, learning to drive is the step that removes that dependence. Alma teaches disabled learners and Motability Scheme customers, and every Motability lesson takes place in an automatic car with dual controls.
An automatic gearbox means no clutch pedal and no gear changes, which can make driving possible or simply more comfortable for people with limited strength or movement in one leg or arm. The dual controls give your instructor their own brake, so you can concentrate on learning.
Tell us about your needs first
Before your first lesson, call us on 07402 034084 and explain any adaptation you use or think you might need. It helps to know about things like how you get in and out of a car, whether you use a wheelchair, and whether you get tired quickly. We will tell you honestly if our cars are suitable.
Your instructor collects you from your own front door anywhere in Finningley, from the closes off Station Road to the homes around Elm Drive or Silver Birch Grove. Early lessons can stay on those quiet streets for as long as you like.
Driving at 16 and the theory test
Usually you cannot drive a car until you are 17. There is an exception for anyone who gets the enhanced rate of the mobility part of PIP or has applied for it, who can start at 16. You still need a provisional licence, which you can apply for on GOV.UK.
The theory test must be passed before you book a practical test. Anyone with a disability or health condition, or with a reading difficulty, can ask for help when booking, for example extra time or a reader. It is worth sorting the theory early if you are hoping to use the Motability Foundation grant, because a theory pass is one of its conditions.
Funding through the Motability Foundation
The Motability Foundation offers a driving lessons grant worth up to 40 hours of lessons. It is for people on the Motability Scheme who also meet further conditions, including being on a means-tested benefit and having already passed the theory test.
Those grant lessons are arranged by the Foundation, and Alma does not deliver them. To see if you qualify, ring the Foundation on 0800 500 3186 or visit its driving lessons grant pages. If the grant is not for you, or you would prefer not to wait, you can learn with Alma as a private pupil.
Driving assessments and local practice
If you are unsure which adaptations would suit you, the charity Driving Mobility carries out driving and adaptation assessments. It has an outreach centre in Doncaster, with appointments made through its Leeds centre.
Once lessons are under way, Finningley offers a sensible progression. You begin in the closes, then move on to The Green and Doncaster Road with their bus stops, then the A614 with its level crossing and the run to Blaxton. Later lessons head through Auckley towards the test centre. Breaks can be built into every session if fatigue is an issue.
See our main Motability driving lessons page, or compare Motability lessons in Auckley and Motability lessons in Rossington. Our automatic driving lessons in Finningley page explains automatic driving in more detail, and the Finningley driving lessons page covers everything else.
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Motability Scheme driving lessons in Finningley: your questions
Do I have to be on the Motability Scheme to book these lessons?
No. Any disabled learner can book lessons with us in an automatic, dual controlled car. The Motability Scheme matters for the Motability Foundation grant, which the Foundation arranges itself, but you can learn privately with Alma whether or not you are on the scheme.
Can lessons fit around medical appointments?
Yes. Tell us your usual commitments and we will plan lesson times around them. Shorter sessions are fine too, and your instructor can pull over for a rest whenever you need one.
What is a Driving Mobility assessment?
It is a professional assessment of your driving needs, carried out by the charity Driving Mobility. It can recommend adaptations or a type of car. Doncaster has an outreach centre, with bookings handled through the Leeds centre.
Who pays for grant-funded lessons?
The Motability Foundation funds and arranges grant lessons for eligible people, and Alma does not provide them. If you are not eligible, you can pay for lessons with us privately. Prices are on our prices page.
Male and female instructors covering Finningley. Manual and automatic cars, all dual controlled.
Get on the road with Alma
Manual or automatic, complete beginner or coming back after years off. Tell us where you are up to and we will build a plan that gets you to test.