Driving test waiting lists are up to eight months long in some parts of the country, according to a new study.
New analysis from the PARC Road Safety Group has found that some drivers are waiting between 11 and 30 weeks to sit their driving test.
On The Pat Kenny Show, Irish Independent southern correspondent Ralph Riegel said many learners are "willing to travel" for shorter wait times.
"If you live in Mayo, you’ve a good chance of getting a test within about 11 weeks but if you’re in Kildare, your waiting time could be anywhere up to 30 weeks," Mr Riegel said.
He said the waiting time for the Naas Test Centre is up to eight months.
"In contrast, in Mayo, if you book your test over the 30th October to November 4th, you're likely to get a test between February 3rd and February 7th, which is roughly a saving of four months," Mr Riegel said.
Impact of the pandemic
Mr Riegel said the long wait times are due to several factors, including the "ongoing fallout" from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The Road Safety Authority have accepted that waiting times are far too long and they are working to address the backlog," Mr Riegel said.
He also said the RSA is in the process of hiring 70 new driving testers, which will bring up the number of permanent testers to 200.
"That's going to have an impact on waiting times," he said.
No-shows
Mr Riegel said some people are not showing up to tests, which is driving waiting times up.
He said there are between 290,000 and 300,000 people driving on a learner permit and 27,000 people have been on a learner permit for between 10 and 20 years.
"You have a cohort of people who basically apply for a driving test and never bother to show up for it on the day," he said.
“The only reason they apply for the test is it allows them to get a learner permit.”
New rules, however, could put a stop to this behaviour.
"The law is being changed so that after your third learner permit, you can only get another learner permit if you actually sit the driving test," he said.
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