RSA needs to explain plans to cut driving test waiting times to Transport Committee – Murphy

Answers are needed from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) on the significant increase in waiting times for driving tests and how it will be addressed, a Fine Gael Deputy has said.

Deputy Michael Murphy, the Chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, has urged the RSA to outline plans to address the issue of waiting times when they come before the Transport Committee.

“I welcome that the RSA has today released an action plan on how they will cut waiting times, but we need to examine how we got into this position in the first place with an average waiting time of 27 weeks.

“The RSA has accepted my invitation to come before the committee and I hope they will address questions on the timeline of how this plan will be rolled out. We need details of when these changes will be put in place.

“Plans for accelerating training for new testers, expanding testing hours, and updating the booking system are all welcome, but we need a guarantee that these actions work.

“A 10-week target is very welcome, but we need to see how realistic it is to have this in place by September.

“People waiting for a test are beyond frustrated with these delays. The waiting times to undergo a driving test are really proving to be a barrier to people trying to take up work or education.

“We want to see waiting times back to an average of 10 weeks and I welcome any proposals to do this, but we also need to hear from the RSA how they will prevent this backlog from happening again. It’s completely unacceptable that waiting times ever reached that level.

“I look forward to working with the RSA and speaking with them directly when they appear before the Oireachtas Transport Committee on how they can implement their plans to cut waiting times”, concluded Deputy Murphy.