Motorists who fail driving tests to be put off road

The Government is reportedly planning new measures to take provisional licence holders off the roads if they fail their driving test.

Reports this morning said Minister for Transport Martin Cullen was planning reforms that would see these drivers forced to undergo more tuition and re-sit the test before they are allowed to drive again.

However, the introduction of the measure will reportedly be delayed until the current backlog of people awaiting tests is cleared.

This morning's reports said Mr Cullen was planning to achieve this by pressing ahead with his contentious plan to "outsource" many driving tests to a private company.

Last month, the Civil Service Arbitration Board ruled that the work could not be "outsourced" without the agreement of the existing testers, who are opposed to the move.