Learner drivers waiting times unacceptable, says Aontú candidate

Learner drivers in Westmeath are still having to wait up to four months to sit a test, while driver tester numbers fall.

Figures released to Aontú through a Parliamentary Question show that in the Mullingar test centre, 2,270 are waiting for tests, while in Athlone the figure is 2,374.

Aontú’s Laura O’ Neill, who is standing in the Kinnegad LEA in June’s local elections, has questioned why, despite the lengthy waiting times and the large number of applicants, the numbers of driving testers have actually decreased nationally.

“Last year there were 145 testers, this year it’s 137, so to borrow from motoring parlance, the whole thing is going in reverse.

“This is quite incredible. How are we ever going to sort this issue out if the basics are not in place? I think having enough driving testers is pretty fundamental to coming to grips with the long waiting times.

“This is like Groundhog Day. We’ve been hearing excuses and promises from successive governments on the issue of driving test waiting lists for years, but none has taken the issue by the scruff of the neck and put common sense measures in place to tackle it. There’s no question but that there should be more testers not less, and tests on public holidays or at weekends to tackle the backlog. This isn’t rocket science.

"People are suffering because of these delays, and parents of learner permit holders in Westmeath, for example, who have to accompany their son or daughter to college or work each day are being impacted. We all know that public transport in Westmeath is patchy to say the least. It is illegal for a person to drive unaccompanied and as a result people in rural areas just can’t get to work or to any other place they want to go if they don’t have a licence to drive. Not all of the people are youngsters either and may not have anybody in their households to accompany them. The knock-on ramifications are huge, both environmentally and socially, and at a time when road deaths are spiralling it is incumbent on this government to sort this issue out and ensure that those who do drive on our roads are actually qualified to do so."