Road Safety Authority confirms waiting time for tests has halved in three months

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) today (August 14) announced significant progress in reducing national driving test waiting times.

According to the RSA, the latest data surpasses its own mid-August target and moves closer to meeting its Service Level Agreement (SLA) goal.

The announcement follows after the RSA announced the launch of an action plan back in May to cut driving test waiting times for County Kildare.

It also follows after a member of Sinn Féin based in Newbridge, James Stokes, earlier today criticised driving test delays in Kildare.

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Explaining the latest data, the RSA said that as of August 14, the average national waiting time for a driving test invitation has dropped to 13.5 weeks — well ahead of the its target of 16 weeks for this stage.

"This is an improvement from 14.1 weeks two weeks ago, and half the 27-week peak recorded at the end of April," the RSA said. "This progress follows the implementation of the RSA’s Driving Test Action Plan, launched in May in response to an unprecedented surge in demand."

The RSA further asserted that the plan "sets out a clear path to bringing the average waiting time down to the SLA target of 10 weeks by September".

INTRODUCTION OF MEASURES

The three key measures introduced by the RSA include:

• A major recruitment drive to increase testing capacity
• Enhanced scheduling to maximise available slots
• Expansion of testing resources nationwide

Brendan Walsh, the chief operating officer of the RSA, welcomed the results.

He said: "These results are a clear sign that our action plan is working."

Mr Walsh added: "We’ve made significant strides in just a few months, thanks to the dedication of our staff and the support of the Department of Transport."

The RSA also said that it wanted to remind applicants that they can help improve access to driving tests for others by cancelling in advance if they cannot attend.

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