LEARNER drivers could be waiting until next July for a driving test at the Woodview testing centre in Limerick City.
That’s according to the latest data from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) which shows that the Woodview Centre on the Old Cratloe Road and the test centre in Shannon Town are among six centres where estimated waiting times extend to 30 weeks or more.
The figures show the minimum waiting period for a test is 11 weeks. Although the average waiting time to book a test is 19 weeks, many centres are far beyond that.
There are just over 50,000 learner drivers eligible to sit their test but who are either waiting for test slots to become available or who have just received an invitation to book one.
Only 53 per cent of learner drivers pass their test at the first attempt and they then apply for a second test, placing added strain on the system.
In a bid to deal with the backlog, the RSA has confirmed that contract driving testers are to be brought into test centres.
It launched a recent recruitment campaign to increase permanent staff in the Driver Testing Service from 100 to 130, some of which are now in place with 15 more expected over the coming weeks.
A spokesman for the RSA said that this will increase capacity at various test centres and plans are under way to ensure that sufficient contracted testers are available to deal with surplus backlogs.
