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The lockdown and measures set to curb the pandemic come at it’s own price. Due to this, the number of fundamental driving activities has been delayed and even at some point halted and now has measurably heightened.
One of the heavily affected sectors is in transportation. Driving schools introducing COVID-19 precautionary measures has brought not just a delay in completion of Driving Training and enrollment for driving tests, but in completing the driving test itself.
Records show that a surplus of 100,000 people are currently waiting to have a date to do their driving test, and this is a situation introduced as an effect of the repeated Covid-19 shutdowns.
This is simply due to the fact that essential workers and health employees are being prioritised and are getting test dates, many other drivers remain in the dark and now potentially face months of delays to sit their test.
But now, we have a solution at our hands as the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has revealed details of its blueprints to break through the driving test backlog and assign test dates to as many drivers as possible.
As reported recently, the RSA has stated that the average waiting period between enroling and having the driving test is 28weeks though this could differ from centre to centre, with those in busy areas, including Cork and Tallaght, likely to face considerably longer waits than those in other parts of the country.
Finally a Solution
To curb this, the RSA has confirmed the authority’s plans to establish numerous new test centres and broaden a number of additional test sites to help ease pressure on the system.
The RSA has given detailed information of 17 test centres that are being expanded or introduced to accommodate the outstanding driving test dates, including new sites at GAA facilities and hotels.
The provided list has validated that the Cork and Mallow test centres will be closed and moved to a new location. As St Finbarr’s GAA club in Cork will be added to be used alongside the Wilton test centre.
There would be expansion in Skibbereen, Tralee, Waterford and other test centres to accommodate more driving test students, as are those in Kilkenny, Mullingar and Naas.
The rest of the new centres will be located in Mulhuddart (Carlton Hotel), Birr (the County Arms Hotel), Loughrea (Loughrea Hotel), Newcastle West (Longcourt House Hotel), Carlow (The Talbot Hotel), and Raheny (St Brigid’s Parish Centre), while locations have yet to be confirmed for new centres in Finglas, Letterkenny and Wicklow.
Just as expected, young people are the most affected by the current backlog challenge with more than 38% of people on the waiting list recorded to be aged between 21 and 30.
The research shows that a total of 18,636 people with their age below 20 are waiting for tests with another 24,181 learners aged between 31 and 40 on the list. This results in just under 19% of people on the waiting list are aged 41 and above.
The total number of people on the waitlist is around 101,000 people hoping to sit a driving test and another 105,000 people waiting to sit their theory test.It is understood online testing is being considered to help get through the wait list for theory tests.
Local Driving Lessons
If you are at the beginning of your learning to drive journey we have a team of driving instructors in some of the most popular locations in Dublin to kick start your driving.
