Test of learners' patience

Average wait for road exam now 24 weeks

- BY SEAN MURPHY

NEW figures from the Road Safety Authority show the country's driving test system is once again under extreme pressure, it is claimed.

The latest numbers for the backlog shows the total is now 62% higher than it was six years ago.

There are 145,000 more learner drivers waiting for a test than in 2019. Back then, the backlog showed 233,025 learners but that total has soared to 378,652 for 2024.

The average waiting time for a test has increased in the same period from six weeks to 24 weeks.

Learners who did not show up for their scheduled driving test account for a significant chunk of the numbers.

There were 6,500 no-shows in 2023 and 8,500 wasted tests in 2024.