19 June 2020
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Over 3,896 on waiting list for driving tests in Cork
Sinn Féin TD for Cork East has called on the Minister for Transport Shane Ross to publish plans for the return of driving tests.
The Sinn Fein TD for Cork East Pat Buckley
The Midleton based TD Buckley said:
“Figures from the Road Safety Authority show a county by county breakdown of the number of people waiting for a driving test across the State.
“The figures show that there are 55,027 people waiting for a driving test across the 49 testing centres in the State, with 3,896 waiting in Cork.
“These numbers have skyrocketed from the 20,000 reported.
“There is now an urgent need for clear plans as to how driving lessons and driving tests can be reintroduced in a safe manner. Perspex dividing screens, PPE for instructors and testers, shorter driving routes all need to be examined.
“We also need to look at how other countries are managing this issue post-Covid.
“By now driving instructors, examiners and their unions should have been consulted along with the Road Safety Authority and the Department of Transport. We now need a plan on how we get over 55,000 people through their driving test.”