Unable to get driving hours HELP
Hi there, I am a 18 year old currently stuck on my learners. I have been on my learners since I turned 16, and I have managed to cough up 3 hours across 2 and a half years with my grandma but other than that I have no one to take me. I don't have access to a car or a fully licensed person to supervise me while I do my 75 driving hours besides my grandma, who i dont see often enough clearly.
I have heard that there are driving volunteer programs out there that help people achieve their hours, but I have tried every single one of them I can possibly find and come up empty-handed because basically all of the programs are exclusive to people in low income brackets, people on centerlink or jobstart/seeker, disadvantaged children, youth living under the government, refugees and people living in rural areas (I am none of those) I'm just a regular girl with no one to take me.
My mother has ptsd from a car crash and can't drive herself. My brother is still on his p plates. All of my cousins are younger than me, live interstate, or don't have contact with me my father is out of the picture, I have one grandparent who I mentioned before which I don't see often enough to consistently drive with (like I said we managed to do 3 hours over 2 and a half years) and lastly all of my friends are only just on their p plates and none of their parents can take me understandably. Realistically, I could just wait 3 years until my brother or friends hold their full licenses for 2 years, but I am starting my new job at the end of the year and planning on moving out of my toxic household very soon. Having a license is essential to life.
For context (and anyone wondering how I currently get by) i live just outside the CBD, i work and go to school in the CBD so it's a very easy tram ride to work and school CURRENTLY, but when I get my new job and move out, that'll all change. Everyone just says, "Use public transport, but I can't possibly catch buses to my new job because I'll be starting work at 5 am my job will aslo be a hour long train/bus ride away and I'm pretty sure most buses don't run until 5:30-6am. Also, as someone who has been sexually assaulted and beaten up on public transport, I'd rather not retraumatise myself every day. I also can't carry home bags of shopping on a bus. I can't freely see my friends. I can't run errands by myself on an already tight schedule, i already struggle with time management as it is letalone having to calculate if a bus will get me to where i need in time. poeple always try and tell me otherwise but if it dosnt work for me it just dosnt work for me ive made posts like this in the past and had to prove myself to others and at the end of the day im no different to other people with different lifestyles would prefer to drive and others prefer to bike, walk, use public transport or fly idfk so if anyone with a license tries to tell me that public transport will work for me well, why don't you just live off public transport then.
Now, back to the driving volunteer programs, here is a list of everyone I've tried
Drive for life
Salvation army
L2p program
Drive me p's
driving youth
Wheels in motion
Aus Drive
RAA
Adelaide School of Driving
Service SA
every church
Every salvation army
My local council
My friend who knows an instructor
And multiple driving instructors
The only one that said yes to me was wheels in motion they are amazing, and I'm so glad many others can access them. unfortunately don't have the time to get to them from the CBD they are located all the way in gawler I go to school all week they and close at 5 by the time I get there they'll be shut, i wont have any time to drive with them, as for weekends i work 9-5 all weekend.
Like i mentioned earlier I have asked this question before on reddit and alot of people said why don't you just do all of your hours with a driving instructor and frankly my response to anyone suggesting that was "that's ducking ridiculous"
reason number 1
Driving lessons range from 100-150 per hour, multiply that by 75 and I'm up for anywhere between $7500-13500 in fees who has that kinda money laying around and why should I pay that much for something I could get for freeReason number 2
Driving instructors aren't there to just cruise around and clock up hours with you they are there to sign you off on your checklist and direct you not go on road trips.
Reason number 3
Driving instructors dont operate at night. If 15 of my hours have to be at night, how am I supposed to complete them????
So, to anyone saying "just do your hours with an instructor" absofuckinglutelynot"
I have also had random strangers offer to take me driving. Sorry, I'm not getting in the car with strangers. i feel that as a young girl in this day and age, that's pretty reasonable
I'm still asking around, but I'm coming up empty-handed. I'm sure this post will get me nowhere, but please, if anyone has anything they can suggest apart from asking friends, catching public transport and doing all my hours with an instructor, please let me know.