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KERRY Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly has called on the Minister for Transport to take action to tackle the massive driving test backlog.
The call comes as the Road Safety Authority (RSA) confirmed there are now 906 learner drivers waiting for a test in Killarney, 980 in Tralee, and over 92,000 people waiting across the state.
“The RSA has confirmed to me that there are now 92,210 people waiting for a driving test, with some constituents telling me they will be forced to wait months for a test date,” said Deputy Daly.
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“The number of people waiting for a test has increased by 70% since June of last year. With public transport down to 25% capacity and sharing of lifts not feasible due to Covid, this is causing massive problems for people who need a licence to get to work.
“It’s a huge issue for people in rural Ireland, where public transport simply isn’t an option. The problem is particularly bad in Kerry, with 906 learner drivers in total waiting for a test in Killarneytesting centre and a further 980 waiting in Tralee.
“There is a clear need for additional driving instructors and testers. Likewise, longer opening hours and weekend tests would go some way to address the lengthening backlog.
“The Minister needs to urgently consult with instructors, testers and their unions to find a way forward to accelerate the number of tests that can be carried out safely over the coming months.
“In addition, the driver theory test is still suspended, causing further delays for those learning to drive. Sinn Féin have also called for online driver theory tests to be extended to all categories of learner drivers, to help deal with the growing backlog of those learning to drive.
“The Driver Theory Test Service are currently providing remote theory tests for bus, truck, CPC and ADI categories. This is a welcome development, but it is essential this is now expanded to those learning to drive a car,” said Deputy Daly.
