Wait for driving tests could rise to more than a year, union warns

MARTIN WALL

Industry Correspondent

Learner drivers could have to wait more than a year for their tests as demand surges as a result of strict new legislation, the trade union Fórsa has warned.

The union's assistant general secretary Ashley Connolly told a conference in Galway that the demand for driving tests could almost double from the current rate of 160,000 per year over the next two years.

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“This could increase the waiting list from 14 weeks to anything up to 55 weeks,” she said.

Fórsa says measures in the amended Road Traffic Bill could lead to a major increase in demand for driving tests in the short term.

The new legislation would introduce fines of up to €2,000, or six months imprisonment, for motorists who allow their vehicles to be used by unaccompanied learner drivers. The bill also allows for the detention of vehicles illegally driven by learner drivers .

“Fórsa supports the measures in the Road Traffic Bill because they will improve road safety. But we need to quickly put the necessary measures in place to prevent a huge backlog of driving tests and a potential trebling of waiting times,” Ms Connolly said.

The union said it secured agreement with the Road Safety Authority on the establishment of a panel of additional driver testers to deal with the anticipated rise in demand for tests. It said the authority wanted the Department of Transport to approve the establishment of a panel of up to 100 additional testers who would be available to work when the need arose.

Ms Connolly said these personnel should be supervised and overseen by the Road Safety Authority directly “which would ensure that they continue to provide the best international standards in quality and assurance of driving tests”.

The union said it also wanted to see a much smaller number of extra driver testers to be employed on a permanent basis to cover increased ongoing demand for tests on foot of economic recovery.

Ms Connolly said the union had also discussed other ways of reducing waiting times with the Road Safety Authority, and was willing to look at additional flexibility measures.

“The number of driver testers has fallen from 126 in 2007 to only 102 today.”

The Department of Transport said it was currently working with the Road Safery Authority “to ensure measures are in place to cope with any possible surge in demand for driving tests”.

A spokesman for the department said these initiatives included the recruitment of additional driver testers and the delivery of 120 extra overtime tests per driver tester who participated.

“Other measures include initiatives to reduce the number of applicant no-shows at the driving test, and to reduce the number of non-conducted driving tests.

“The Authority plans to introduce a new test booking system in 2018 that will give test applicants much more control over their booking and appointment choice.”