Suicide awareness training for taxi drivers launched in Wigan Borough
- Perry Richardson
- Jul 6
- 2 min read
A new mental health training course aimed at taxi and private hire drivers is now available in Wigan Borough.
The initiative is part of the Greater Manchester-wide Shining a Light on Suicide campaign. The course is free, takes around 10 minutes to complete, and is designed to help drivers recognise signs of a mental health crisis in passengers and others.
Wigan Council is supporting the rollout in partnership with NHS Greater Manchester. Thousands of licensed drivers across the region are being encouraged to complete the training.
Developed by the Zero Suicide Alliance, the course includes guidance on how to ask direct questions, start conversations with people in distress, and direct them to the right support services.
Though designed for the taxi trade, the training is open to anyone. The Zero Suicide Alliance also offers general awareness modules for the wider public, professionals, and organisations.
Councillor Paul Prescott, lead cabinet member for planning, environmental service and transport, said: “This is a great initiative that could make a real difference and our licensing team will be supporting its rollout".
“We hope that as many licensees as possible complete the training across the borough and the wider region.”
Dr Manisha Kumar, chief medical officer, NHS Greater Manchester, said: “At NHS Greater Manchester, we’re committed to preventing suicide and supporting people’s mental health. A big part of that is working in partnership with others across the city-region, including those outside traditional healthcare roles.
“Taxi and private hire drivers interact with a wide range of people every day in all sorts of circumstances; and this training offers a simple, effective way to help them feel more confident supporting someone who might be struggling. It’s one of many steps we’re taking to make suicide prevention part of everyday life.”
Dr Claire Iveson, consultant clinical psychologist and strategic lead, Zero Suicide Alliance, said: “We know talking about suicide can be difficult, but we believe that the more people who feel equipped and empowered to talk about suicide, the more chance there is for potentially life-saving conversations to happen.
“We launched our suicide awareness training for taxi and private hire drivers after working with various people including drivers with lived experiences to develop the course, and the feedback has been incredibly positive.”
