Update on driving test waiting times

The Road Safety Authority has outlined how long driving test applicants will be waiting to receive their test date.

Under level 5 restrictions, currently only those who are essential workers can attend their driving test. All other applicants who have received their dates are being asked to cancel their test appointment online.

In response to a query from the Westmeath Independent, a spokesperson for the RSA said that because essential workers are being prioritised with test dates, waiting times for other applicants are distorted.

“As we are prioritising essential workers this has the effect of distorting waiting times as it means a person who may have applied a week ago and is an essential worker will be given an appointment in preference to a person on the waiting list for over a month,” the spokesperson explained.

“A person applying for a test today if taken in sequence i.e. not an essential worker, would be waiting in the order of 20 weeks for a test.

“This 20-week figure can vary, but it is representative at this point,” he finished.

The spokesperson also said that the RSA plans to publish up-to-date pass rates for each test location in the future via their website.