Waiting Lists

monkey24

Hey,

Couple of questions.

1. Every time I read a newspaper article on the new law being passed. It says waiting lists are down to 10 weeks. Is this correct?. I applied for a test back on October and it took 6 months to come through. I have reapplied now and Gay Byrne has announced that anyone who needs a test before June 30th will get one. How is this possible. I applied 4 weeks ago, can I ring them up and tell them I want a test this week or is he spinning a load of crap?.

2. Also how do we get to the driving test center if we cannot drive unaccompanied ?. That goes for lessons as well.

Thanks

Heroditas

That’s an interesting point regarding the waiting lists. I applied for my test the first time in the middle of December and finally got scheduled for SGS Tallaght in the middle of March. The letter confirming the date and location arrived a week before the test. I failed but reapplied immediately as soon as I got home and they rescheduled me for the end of June in Fonthill. This didn’t suit because I’m going away on Wednesday but I managed to get squeezed into Tallght for the 9th of June so actually managed to get one earlier. Apparently the waiting lists for some places are now at approximately 8-10 weeks instead of well over 20 like it was a year ago. I don’t think they can really guarantee a test that quickly.

Regarding the second point, yes drivers need to be accompanied but to be honest, this is no different compared to before unless you are on a second provisional. Provisional drivers must be accompanied at all times. I know I ignored this law myself but the government are now going to enforce it. That means that yes you will need a fully qualified driver accompanying you to the test centre.

SEPT 23 1989

i tried to apply this morning the driving test website has been down all morning
could not get through to ballina for an hour,the RSA said that everyone who wanted/ needed to take the test would get one before the deadline,no matter how short the notice would get one,not a hope of getting one now

token56

monkey24 wrote: »

Hey,

Couple of questions.

1. Every time I read a newspaper article on the new law being passed. It says waiting lists are down to 10 weeks. Is this correct?. I applied for a test back on October and it took 6 months to come through. I have reapplied now and Gay Byrne has announced that anyone who needs a test before June 30th will get one. How is this possible. I applied 4 weeks ago, can I ring them up and tell them I want a test this week or is he spinning a load of crap?.



2. Also how do we get to the driving test center if we cannot drive unaccompanied ?. That goes for lessons as well.

Thanks

1. According to their website anyway the maximum waiting list at any centre is 10 weeks, with the shortest being 4 if I remember correctly. Whether this is the case or not I am not sure. With regards anyone needing a test getting in before June 30th, I believe the comments were for people on their second provisonal license and who may need it for work. I would say just ring them up to see where your application is and how much longer it will be. Not sure if telling them you want it sooner will help.

Also good luck in trying to get through to the test centre in Ballina. You will be waiting hours literally. Email may be the way the go.

2. If rules are to be followed you should have someone with a full license in the car with you when travelling to them, may not be the most practical but its the law. Also say you drive to the test on your own, fail, then what you drive home on your own? That doesn't make sense either does it?

Spud83

As for Gay Byrne saying that anyone who needs a test before June 30th I think this was in realtion in people on second provisionals as these are the people the new laws are affecting. What he was saying is that anyone on aa second provisional should ring up the RSA and everything will be done to try get them in before June 30th. I dont think he was saying that everyone waiting on a test could get one before June 30th. But that was a couple of weeks ago I believe so I doubt the same still applies now.

As for waiting list times. All in all they are supposed to be down to an average of ten weeks. Some centres have longer, some have shorter. You can check out the average times on www.drivingtest.ie, remember these are average times, not maximum/minimum times.

Cutie18Ireland

I done my test with sgs in drogheda on April 28th took ages for that date, failed and tester said to reapply immediately and there was a 4 week turnaround with tests. Reapplied that day got a letter about 2 weeks ago giving me a test date of July 30th in Navan, rearranged it to Drogheda for July 28th. Just rang SGS to see if i could get one any sooner and she said they are all booked out, she doesnt know when cancellations will come through so just keep checking the site.

Oh she also suggesting trying Kells, stopped doing tests there in March....

kerry4sam

monkey24 wrote: »

Hey,

Couple of questions.

1. Every time I read a newspaper article on the new law being passed. It says waiting lists are down to 10 weeks. Is this correct?. I applied for a test back on October and it took 6 months to come through. I have reapplied now and Gay Byrne has announced that anyone who needs a test before June 30th will get one. How is this possible. I applied 4 weeks ago, can I ring them up and tell them I want a test this week or is he spinning a load of crap?.

2. Also how do we get to the driving test center if we cannot drive unaccompanied ?. That goes for lessons as well.

Thanks

1) That is in relation to second provisional holders ... down my way they (2nd) were all given test dates first before 1st and 3rd holders ...

2) Their is a dedicated thread to this question and you have to be accompanied by a fully qualified driver. When i was attending my test recently (1st prov), i was asked who accompanied me to the test centre