Driving test rush as 300,000 learners face sanction from next week

THE Road Safety Authority (RSA) is bracing itself for a rush of driving test applications over the next few weeks as more than 300,000 learner drivers face being put off the road if they continue to drive unaccompanied from July 1.

Gardaí are set to increase enforcement of the law that prohibits provisional licence holders from driving unaccompanied from next week when learner drivers will need to be supervised by a fully qualified driver with two years’ experience.

Although more than 48,000 driving tests are being held every month to meet an increased demand for full licences, figures from the RSA show the vast majority of learner permit holders will not have sat the test by the July 1 deadline.

Only 94,000 learner drivers have passed the test since last October when the RSA announced sweeping changes to the licensing system. According to the RSA, almost 336,000 motorists were still driving on a provisional licence or learner permit at the end of May.

RSA chief executive, Noel Brett admitted yesterday officials are expecting a “surge” in applications to sit the test over the next few weeks as L-plate drivers become aware they risk prosecution for driving vehicles without supervision from next Tuesday.

However, the outsourcing of tests to a private firm hired by the Government to reduce waiting lists — Swiss company SGS — has raised industry concerns about the fast-tracking of the driving test system.

The Irish Examiner revealed last week that there are dramatic variations in pass rates between test centres operated by the RSA and SGS. On average, 65.3% of motorists who sit the test at SGS centres obtain a pass compared with just 51.5% at RSA-operated centres.

Mr Brett expressed satisfaction yesterday with the standard and professionalism of the 137 testers who were employed by SGS after six weeks of formal training.

The RSA head admitted 40 SGS testers were recalled for additional training last year after an official review highlighted inconsistencies in the marking of tests.

He claimed the difference in pass rates between the two types of test centres was explained by the fact that people who were waiting the longest to sit the test were being examined by SGS officials.

“These drivers tend to be people with more driving experience by the fact that they were waiting the longest period to actually sit the test,” said Mr Brett.

However, driving professionals have expressed concern that test standards were being lowered for political reasons in order to avoid a further public backlash similar to the one that greeted the RSA’s decision last October to remove the exemption from the holders of second provisional driving licences from driving unaccompanied.

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey and the RSA were forced to cancel their plans to implement the measure immediately as a result of public opposition and instead postponed its introduction until July 1.

Applications for driving tests rose to more than 15,000 last week on the basis of publicity surrounding next week’s deadline compared to a weekly average of around 6,000 during the remainder of the year.

The RSA pointed out it had brought down the average waiting time for tests from 69 weeks 18 months ago to 10 weeks at present.

Mr Brett admitted that he would be concerned if there was a public perception that motorists had a better chance of passing tests at SGS centres.

“It is simply not the case. We refute any assertion that SGS centres are operating to different standards. They are subject to regular monitoring and assessment,” he added.

The RSA’s own figures show that SGS has a higher pass rate in 27 out of the 28 towns and cities where both SGS and the RSA operate test centres.