Changes to the Driver Licencing System Mega Thread

Stephen

Good. I wonder if they'll bother to actually enforce it now?

chump

feck!

. The holder of category B (Car) learner permit (provisional licence) must be accompanied by and under the supervision of a qualified person at all times. This change removes an exemption that, up to now, allowed a person on a second provisional licence to drive unaccompanied. To drive unaccompanied will be a penal offence and the person will be subject to prosecution.

Q: When does this new rule come into effect?

A: This is coming into effect as and from 30 October 2007.

Nuttzz

no

our average waiting time per region is:

· North Leinster........ 28 weeks
· South Leinster...... . 22 weeks
· West...................34 weeks
· North West........... 13 weeks
· South East.............23 weeks
· South West............28 weeks

this needs to be sorted first

cyclopath2001

dak wrote: »

What do you think!

Brilliant. Maybe less drivers on the road and more people sharing a car.

No doubt some people will hide their L-plates..

peasant

this needs to be sorted first

Looks like nobody bothered.

You've basically got five days notice if youre currently driving on a provisional licence to make alternative arrangements.

I can feel either a mass protest or an amnesty coming up

dak

Stephen wrote: »

Good. I wonder if they'll bother to actually enforce it now?

Seems they will this time...Gay Byrne is a happy man!

testicle

I wonder how many bikers we will see on our roads from the 1st of December with a high vis vest with large L plates on the front and back of them.

gucci

my initial opinion is this seems like a well thought out "strategy" exept they havnt done any thinking regarding theyre dates/timelines. present waiting lists are 20-30 weeks, minister dempsey was fluffing on the radio there that this will be down to 8weeks by March 2008 so there was no problem introducing this now. i dunno as stated above 5 days to make alternative arrangements? he also said he didnt know of "many areas in ireland that are not served by some form of public transport" this guy is from Trim co, Meath, i presume there is no light rail service there or regular town bus service to take people too and from they're work place at 7 or 8 in the morning?? looks like il be dusting off the old bicycle to avoid breaking the law:p

Wishbone Ash

Nuttzz wrote: »

no

our average waiting time per region is:

· North Leinster........ 28 weeks
· South Leinster...... . 22 weeks
· West...................34 weeks
· North West........... 13 weeks
· South East.............23 weeks
· South West............28 weeks

this needs to be sorted first

That arguement is trotted out frequently but why is it that two thirds of provisional licence holders have not applied for a driving test? :rolleyes:

Spades

I think the whole thing is a load off nonsense, I ‘ve been holding a full license but there was a time I drove on my provisional license, without it I couldn’t have worked and I don’t think that has changed too much in the last 10 years, public transport is an absolute joke. Another thing, I see loads off learner drivers on the road every day and if im absolutely honest the standard of driving is often allot better than those with a full license. Allot of people are saying its great but would they feel the same way if all off us with full driving licenses were made re sit there test every five years and if you fail on the day, Your walking home and trying to figure out how to get to work tomorrow. The last thing I would like to say is, what about all those drivers during the 1980’s that just filled in a form, ticked all the boxes and received the full license for every category possible. We do have allot of problems on our roads but penalising all provisional license holders like this is very unfair.

Cionád

I somehow doubt that we'll have 400,000 less cars on the road from next Tuesday, although that would improve my commute :-)

I've only passed my test just over a year ago, so im gonna be a second class driver again...being unable to supervise others...

I really don't think this can be enforced, at least in the short term. The sober passenger rule puzzles me, what is safer?, a sober provisional(permit) holder driving a drunk home from the pub, or the drunk driving himself???

peasant

slightly OT ...but I look at it this way:

Also today, Bertie and his ministers granted themselves another payrise, a "modest" 12 - 14 % this time.

The fines from all the people who have no choice but to drive on their provisionals should probably cover that.


Don't get me wrong ...the measures introduced in this new learner permit legislation look good and are long overdue.

But the lack of provision in regards to the existing chaos with waiting times smacks of total disregard for the ordinary Joe Soap ...further re-inforced by granting themselves a nice little bonus on the same day that they condemn thousands of people to walking and cycling into work if they don't want to face a fine and points.


Boomtown Rats ..."Banana Republic" anyone?

Cionád

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

That arguement is trotted out frequently but why is it that two thirds of provisional licence holders have not applied for a driving test? :rolleyes:

I didn't know that, but now when they see the news tonight, panic and apply next week, what will happen to the waiting list???

vengeance52

Is this just a fine if your caught, or Points too?

gucci

peasant wrote: »

slightly OT ...but I look at it this way:

Also today, Bertie and his ministers granted themselves another payrise, a "modest" 12 - 14 % this time.

The fines from all the people who have no choice but to drive on their provisionals should probably cover that.


Don't get me wrong ...the measures introduced in this new learner permit legislation look good and are long overdue.

But the lack of provision in regards to the existing chaos with waiting times smacks of total disregard for the ordinary Joe Soap ...further re-inforced by granting themselves a nice little bonus on the same day that they condemn thousands of people to walking and cycling into work if they don't want to face a fine and points.


Boomtown Rats ..."Banana Republic" anyone?

actually i had meant to reference that myself in my original reply but forgot. great bit of spin-doctorey to take some of the focus off the pay increases :(

Wishbone Ash

Cionád wrote: »

The sober passenger rule puzzles me

The accompanied driver must be able to take over the driving at any time - therefore they must be sober!

peasant wrote: »

Bertie and his ministers granted themselves another payrise, a "modest" 12 - 14 % this time

It was recommended by an independent pay review body - not by the Government themselves.

Cionád

vengeance52 wrote: »

Is this just a fine if your caught, or Points too?

only a fine afaik, and its max is 1000 euro. Id risk it if i was provisional tbh.

Cionád

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

The accompanied driver must be able to take over the driving at any time - therefore they must be sober!

I was under the impression it was all passengers - which was puzzling me

Wishbone Ash

Cionád wrote: »

I was under the impression it was all passengers

:eek::eek::eek::D:D:D

aniascor

Oh my God - I'm absolutely furious over the minimal notice they are giving for this. I am on my second provisional and never ever drove unaccompanied on my first. I don't have anyone living nearby who has a full license who could accompany me when I practice my driving. And as of today, it is three months since I applied for my test, and no sign of getting called for it. What am I supposed to do? :mad: Book a driving lesson every time I want to practice driving? All that will happen now is that by the time I eventually get called for the test (given that I've applied to Finglas, that will probably be another 5 or 6 months) my driving skills will have gotten so rusty that I'll fail the bloody thing.

I'll be asking work for a letter stating that I need my test immediately!!

busykill

I just put down a deposit down on a 08 ibiza last week, was due to collect in january but i'm only just after getting my provisonal last month. Talk about short notice. i hope to god that they either back down or don't enforce it. <snip>!:mad:

Evolute

Ya see the problem with the letter is anyone with a job will ask for a letter and you will be stuck in the same problem as you are now waiting around a 2-3 month period possibly more for your test this Permit lark is ridiculous.

Sadly this change means that they will enforce it with heavy fines.
This puts very big bumps in my plans for a car

They better make the licenses alot easier to obtain because as ive said this is Bull****

cyclopath2001

rbd wrote: »

not a penal offence tho

Getting run over is.

Daith

aniascor wrote: »

Book a driving lesson every time I want to practice driving?

That's the thing. I'm on my second provisional and have my test in December. I don't live too far away from work (10 mins with the car) and public transport is okay to it. Though not too close and when it starts lashing rain!!!

However as I don't know anyone with a full license over two years that could accompany me when I want to practice, I'll need to pay €30-€40 each time.

Fine if the government would introduce subsidies for learner lessons but the chances of that happening are akin to Bertie getting a 2.5% pay increase!

Oh well, wish me luck for the test.

Spades

I think the whole thing is a load off nonsense, I ‘ve been holding a full license but there was a time I drove on my provisional license, without it I couldn’t have worked and I don’t think that has changed too much in the last 10 years, public transport is an absolute joke. Another thing, I see loads off learner drivers on the road every day and if im absolutely honest the standard of driving is often allot better than those with a full license. Allot of people are saying its great but would they feel the same way if all off us with full driving licenses were made re sit there test every five years and if you fail on the day, Your walking home and trying to figure out how to get to work tomorrow. The last thing I would like to say is, what about all those drivers during the 1980’s that just filled in a form, ticked all the boxes and received the full license for every category possible. We do have allot of problems on our roads but penalising all provisional license holders like this is very unfair.

Noelie

Evolute wrote: »

They better make the licenses alot easier to obtain because as ive said this is Bull****

The test doesn't need to be any easier, all it takes is a little practice
I think the new rules are a good idea. But I think they should have also added in a restriction on the bhp that a person can drive after getting their licence, like they do on bikes.

Victor_M

Spades wrote: »

I think the whole thing is a load off nonsense, I ‘ve been holding a full license but there was a time I drove on my provisional license, without it I couldn’t have worked and I don’t think that has changed too much in the last 10 years, public transport is an absolute joke. Another thing, I see loads off learner drivers on the road every day and if im absolutely honest the standard of driving is often allot better than those with a full license. Allot of people are saying its great but would they feel the same way if all off us with full driving licenses were made re sit there test every five years and if you fail on the day, Your walking home and trying to figure out how to get to work tomorrow. The last thing I would like to say is, what about all those drivers during the 1980’s that just filled in a form, ticked all the boxes and received the full license for every category possible. We do have allot of problems on our roads but penalising all provisional license holders like this is very unfair.

Accompanied provisional drivers on their first provosional license has always been the law, it's just never been enforced.

When I got my first job it came with a company van, but as I had a provisional I wasn't allowed drive it until I got my fully license. I had to use public transport and taxi's until i got my test. I applied for a cancellation test & get one within a month or so.

I think it's a great idea. It will make the road a safer place to be and hopefully less cars, the amount of L drivers on motorways alone is a joke, yet alone foreign nationals who have clearly never been behind the wheel of a car before they came to Ireland, and are happily causing mayhem on the roads with upside down L plates on the backs of their micra's.

Wishbone Ash

Daith wrote: »

However as I don't know anyone with a full license over two years that could accompany me when I want to practice, I'll need to pay €30-€40 each time

How do you think those of us with truck and bus licences managed? We didn't have a truck or bus parked up at home to practise on! Prior to passing the tests, the only time I drove a large vehicle was during a driving lesson.

Henry Ford III

If this sticks, thousands of everyday drivers will be literally forced off the roads.

Phoole

Spades wrote: »

I think the whole thing is a load off nonsense, I ‘ve been holding a full license but there was a time I drove on my provisional license, without it I couldn’t have worked and I don’t think that has changed too much in the last 10 years, public transport is an absolute joke. Another thing, I see loads off learner drivers on the road every day and if im absolutely honest the standard of driving is often allot better than those with a full license. Allot of people are saying its great but would they feel the same way if all off us with full driving licenses were made re sit there test every five years and if you fail on the day, Your walking home and trying to figure out how to get to work tomorrow. The last thing I would like to say is, what about all those drivers during the 1980’s that just filled in a form, ticked all the boxes and received the full license for every category possible. We do have allot of problems on our roads but penalising all provisional license holders like this is very unfair.

I couldn't agree more. So now I have to take the day off work to accompany my girlfriend to her driving test. And I thought I couldn't despise this government much more.