Confusion reigns over clampdown on learner drivers

AS CONFUSION reigned over the government’s plans to clamp down on “drive-alone” learners, one effect of the new road safety strategy was the phenomenon of test applicants queuing to get an early date.

Throughout the country, local authority HQs experienced an influx of provisional licence holders who wanted to fast-track their driving tests and become fully-licensed as quickly as possible.

While the road safety authority predicts waiting times for tests to be slashed to eight weeks by next April, a glut in new applications could well scupper that prognosis.

While the government was dithering over its plans, various lobby groups reacted with a mixture of emotions. ranging from caution to surprise to anger.

The AA, whose input drove much of the content of the new strategy and who first came up with the “learner permit” idea, called on the government not to “whip the carpet” from under learners.

A “commonsense” approach should be taken towards prosecuting unaccompanied learner drivers, AA public affairs manager Conor Faughnan said yesterday. “I don’t think people should panic. Do your lessons and do your test. I don’t think the purpose of the change is to whip the carpet out from under these people.”

However, Mr Faughnan welcomed the correction of an anomaly that had allowed holders of second provisional licences to drive unaccompanied, but not holders of first, third, fourth, and higher licences.

“When the waiting list [for driving tests] is down to eight weeks, I think it is reasonable to begin to enforce the rules.”

Elderly people will be left more isolated than ever Age Action Ireland claimed. Stressing that they welcome any measure that would reduce road deaths, Age Action’s Eamon Timmins said that the new regulations must be accompanied by access to public transport.

“We had a call from a 72-year-old woman, driving 40 years and never caused an accident,” said Mr Timmins. “She’s essentially isolated now. We would view this as further evidence of the need to provide rural transport. There are many people who no longer drive or never drove or were driving on provisional licences and are very isolated. What is the government going to do about these people?”

An IFA spokesman said the new move on L-drivers would have a disproportionate effect on people in rural areas who do not have access to any other form of transport.

“Safety on the roads is very important, but drivers need more notice to make alternative arrangements before the changes take effect,” said the spokesperson, before calling for a resolution to the problem with the backlog in driver testing.

“The delays that provisional licence holders face are unacceptable and an obstacle to gaining a full licence.”

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport said it was a pity that the learner driver issue had overshadowed the publication of the new road safety strategy.

“After all the hard work on preparing the strategy and the excellent plans it contains, its credibility has been compromised by this unreasonable haste,” said chief executive officer Colm Holmes. The spectre of hundreds of thousands of provisional drivers having to make alternative arrangements to get to work meant it was “no wonder” there was so much controversy, he said.