July 1st Regulation Changes

raido9

dreamingoak wrote: »

because I applied for the test in october, and It shows that i am doing something about it. The crackdown, I am sure is aimed at people who are trying to avoid the test altogether, and/ or who are reckless drivers

Or people who are on their third provisional licence without bothering to try the test. :rolleyes:

dreamingoak

for the love of god read back a bit first! i have the test in two weeks! I applied straight away in october!

donhughberto

raido9 wrote: »

12 years and you haven't taken the test. A fine is too good for people like you, you should be put off the road.

Your making excuses for yourself now I'm afraid. Just take some responsibility and do the test. You were given 6 months warning this was coming in.

I have been driving about 3 months (provisional for about 7), took alot of lessons and failed test by 1 grade 2 so i think the test is not so bad. Its just about keeping the cool and getting over the nerves.

12 years means plenty of terrible habits.

Wishbone Ash

I don't want to kick you when you're down but there are a few points I would like to make.

dreamingoak wrote: »

I was just following the old way of waiting till I felt completely ready before applying for the test

That just reads like "I couldn't be bothered applying for the test as I can just rely on the Provisional Licence system and sure no one checks whether I'm accompanied or not".

Prior to the driving tests being outsourced to SGS, the average waiting times for tests were very long. Why on earth would someone wait until they are "ready" before applying? The sensible thing to do would have been to apply for the test as soon as you obtained the 1st provisional Licence.

dreamingoak wrote: »

I have applied for the test, It's in two weeks

You applied in October coincidently when the Minister announced that the accompanied regulations would be enforced.

dreamingoak wrote: »

what kind of response from the gardai have people in my position had when they were stopped? That is :30 something woman on a 3rd provisional, clean liscence and test booked and immanent.

Your age, sex and nature of your Provisional Licence shouldn't have any bearing of what the Garda would do (but it may all the same).

You say that you are a mother. I presume that you may require your car for transporting a child/children. You need to bear in mind that you Provisional Licence/Learner Permit was granted to you to allow you to access public roads while learning to drive. It was not granted to you as a licence to utilise public roads for work, social and family reasons.

And just to pre-empt the posters who will respond saying that the waiting times were so long that they had no choice:

When the Minister made his announcement last october there were 430,000 persons on Provisional Licences yet there were only 129,000 persons on the test waiting list. Now what were the other 300,000 persons doing?

donhughberto

dreamingoak wrote: »

for the love of god read back a bit first! i have the test in two weeks! I applied straight away in october!

I applied in Febuary and had one already, i guess test centres have different waiting lists. My brother has had two since October and hes on a first provisional, 2nd are supposed to get choice of dates etc. So i am guessing your application got lost somewhere

donhughberto

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

When the Minister made his announcement last october there were 430,000 persons on Provisional Licences yet there were only 129,000 persons on the test waiting list. Now what were the other 300,000 persons doing?

Good question, 300,000 more added to the list next month is my guess and kill the 8 week waiting list and back to 6 months again

pocketvenus

Wile E. Coyote wrote: »

The clamp down (if there is one) will and should be aimed at everyone on a provisional licence who is driving unaccompanied. And i find it very hard to believe that you applied for a test in October and 8 months later you've heard nothing. The average wait at the minute is about 2 months and anyone on a second provisional (which you would have been on) was given preference on test dates.

You might like to know I also applied in October 07 and have been told I will getting my test in August!!! I had to ring the RSA to see what hold up was and was told it be August before I was due to take my test so there you go. I am telling the truth about when I applied and I have not been given preference.

techdiver

Wile E. Coyote wrote: »

The average wait at the minute is about 2 months

Negative - Not even close, they may be publishing those fairytale statistics, but it's not the reality of what is happening.

Wile E. Coyote wrote: »

and anyone on a second provisional (which you would have been on) was given preference on test dates.

Negative - I have seen no evidence of such measures, I'm on my second provisional and still waiting for a test date even though I applied in April.

Now roll the "It's your own fault bla bla bla", comments.

pocketvenus

techdiver wrote: »

Negative - Not even close, they may be publishing those fairytale statistics, but it's not the reality of what is happening.



Negative - I have seen no evidence of such, measures I'm on my second provisional and still waiting for a test date even though I applied in April.

Now roll the "It's your own fault bla bla bla", comments.

Your are right there, ok you can say that they are bringing the waiting times down but there are not near the "on demand" test they are advertising. I mean everyday I am hearing about people waiting at least 4 months which is bad never mind say I am waiting 8 months and just to clarify I applied start of October as soon as I got my 2nd provisional licence. By that time I had got all my lessons and had plenty of experinence so that when I got my test I'd have the skills and confidence to pass.

dreamingoak

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

You applied in October coincidently when the Minister announced that the accompanied regulations would be enforced.

Like thousands of others, I applied on purpose in october in response to the changes in policy.

I did actually get a test a little earlier, on the 11th of this month but had to defer it as it inconcievably fell on the same day as one of my final exams. The new date is the 9th of July.

I am not making any excuses. I am in the same position as thousands of others in the country, and now looking to sort the problem out.

techdiver

dreamingoak wrote: »

Like thousands of others, I applied on purpose in october in response to the changes in policy.

I did actually get a test a little earlier, on the 11th of this month but had to defer it as it inconcievably fell on the same day as one of my final exams. The new date is the 9th of July.

I am not making any excuses. I am in the same position as thousands of others in the country, and now looking to sort the problem out.

Once again hurray for the RSA and the lies about reducing waiting times for everyone! Lies I tell ye! Lies!

Of course this is Ireland, we will of course settle for it because of our anything will do attitude to public service. Be damned to anyone who questions where our tax money + the €38 we paid for the test in advance has gone to.

dreamingoak

thank you techdiver and pocket venus (lovely name) for weighing in on the side of the provisional driver on a waiting list! It seems theyd like to round us all up, shoot first and ask questions later.

Wishbone Ash

techdiver wrote: »

Negative - Not even close, they may be publishing those fairytale statistics, but it's not the reality of what is happening

Do you compile the statistics for all test centres?

Negative wrote:

- I have seen no evidence of such measures, I'm on my second provisional and still waiting for a test date even though I applied in April

Because you have seen no evidence you can dismiss the statistics given by a statutory organisation! :rolleyes:

Did you state in you application form that you are willing to be tested at very short notice. Have you contacted the RSA and informed them that you are on a 2nd Provisional Licence and are willing to take any available cancellation slot?

pocketvenus wrote: »

I mean everyday I am hearing about people waiting at least 4 months which is bad never mind say I am waiting 8 months

The times provided by the RSA are average waiting times.

Regularly, we have posters on this forum who have been offered tests in weeks or even days. One was offered a test the day after applying and AFAIK the average time has dropped again.

pocketvenus wrote:

I applied start of October as soon as I got my 2nd provisional licence. By that time I had got all my lessons and had plenty of experinence so that when I got my test I'd have the skills and confidence to pass.

Again very coincidental. Why didn't you apply earlier and aquire the skills in the meantime? If you weren't ready, you could have deferred it.

dreamingoak wrote: »

Like thousands of others, I applied on purpose in october in response to the changes in policy

When you realised that you would have to get your licence in order. Are you implying that, had the Minister not made the announcement, you would have continued to drive around on a Provisional Licence?

It an insult to those of us who didn't drive unaccompanied (when legally required) and applied for tests as soon as possible.

techdiver

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Do you compile the statistics for all test centres?

I don't think anyone is, those figures are fiction. No-one I know has received a test next to near any of those "average" times.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Because you have seen no evidence you can dismiss the statistics given by a statutory organisation! :rolleyes:

Yes. It is after all an Irish Organisation that has pledged to meet a certain number by a certain time or look like fools. Forgive me if I'm skeptical about their figures especially when there is no independent audit of them.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Did you state in you application form that you are willing to be tested at very short notice. Have you contacted the RSA and informed them that you are on a 2nd Provisional Licence and are willing to take any available cancellation slot?

No such option on the online application, plus try to call the RSA driving test number (1890 40 60 40), and see if you can even get through. I have tried many times with no luck and so have others. When I did get through the automated menu system just cuts me off when selecting the options I need.

dreamingoak

yes thats exactly what i'm saying. well actually I would have done it around now, having finished up my course first. that was the plan. what lunatic would not apply for the test after the october announcements?

This is what thousands of people in the country are doing: on hearing of the october policy changes, they applied for the test. Why do you keep saying ' oh coincidentally you applied in october.."?

pocketvenus

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Do you compile the statistics for all test centres?


Because you have seen no evidence you can dismiss the statistics given by a statutory organisation! :rolleyes:

Did you state in you application form that you are willing to be tested at very short notice. Have you contacted the RSA and informed them that you are on a 2nd Provisional Licence and are willing to take any available cancellation slot?

The times provided by the RSA are average waiting times.

Regularly, we have posters on this forum who have been offered tests in weeks or even days. One was offered a test the day after applying and AFAIK the average time has dropped again.

Again very coincidental. Why didn't you apply earlier and aquire the skills in the meantime? If you weren't ready, you could have deferred it.

When you realised that you would have to get your licence in order. Are you implying that, had the Minister not made the announcement, you would have continued to drive around on a Provisional Licence?

It an insult to those of us who didn't drive unaccompanied (when legally required) and applied for tests as soon as possible.

It is not coincidental at all actually, these measures where introduced end of October 2007 my application form was posted into the RSA on 2nd so I was well ahead of the the new measures being introduced.

Yes I do know that the times are average but I think 8 months or even 4 is unacceptable. As I said I know these will improve but it should never have gotten to the stage of having year long waiting lists in the first place then we would not be in this situation. The Government should have anticipated this they can publish reports every years about the number of cars increasing on the road so surely somebody would have had the sense to know that the demand for tests would have increased thus tackling the problem years ago.

To tackle your question about why I did not apply straight away I wanted to be in the best possible position so that I would not have to defer and hopefully just have to take the test once and not have to go back to the bottom on the waiting list again if I did happen to fail. Which also adds to increased waiting times. If you have a look at the RSA website now they have recently added a note to say that you should build up your driving experience and confidence before applying for your test. This exactly what I did.

ztoical

dreamingoak wrote: »

Why do you keep saying ' oh coincidentally you applied in october.."?

because you said yourself you've had a provisional for 12 years and yet only applied for the test in october which implies that if the new laws weren't coming in you most likely still wouldn't have put in for the test.

Wishbone Ash

techdiver wrote: »

No-one I know has received a test next to near any of those "average" times.

So you know everyone on the waiting list?

techdiver wrote:

It is after all an Irish Organisation that has pledged to meet a certain number by a certain time

They are way ahead of their targets.

techdiver wrote:

No such option on the online application, plus try to call the RSA driving test number (1890 40 60 40), and see if you can even get through. I have tried many times with no luck and so have others. When I did get through the automated menu system just cuts me off when selecting the options I need.

Does the online application not have a section with "Any Additional Information" or a section where you inform them when you are not available.

(Traditional paper application is much better anyway IMO).

You could of course write to them. We still have a postal service and In my experience, traditional letters receive much more attention that emails.

dreamingoak wrote: »

I would have done it around now, having finished up my course first

Driving legally is much more important than any 'course'.

dreamingoak wrote:

This is what thousands of people in the country are doing: on hearing of the october policy changes, they applied for the test. Why do you keep saying ' oh coincidentally you applied in october.."?

Because many of those people are giving the two fingers to those of use who complied with the law long before spoonfeeding was introduced. They complain about waiting lists (I know you didn't complain about them) yet were not on one in the first place! they then use long waiting lists as an excuse for not applying! :rolleyes:

There is no constitutional right to drive in this country. It is a privilage which should be earned not abused.

raido9

dreamingoak wrote: »

thank you techdiver and pocket venus (lovely name) for weighing in on the side of the provisional driver on a waiting list! It seems theyd like to round us all up, shoot first and ask questions later.

What does that even mean?

Wishbone Ash

pocketvenus wrote: »

It is not coincidental at all actually, these measures where introduced end of October 2007 my application form was posted into the RSA on 2nd so I was well ahead of the the new measures being introduced

Fair enough, point taken.

o tackle your question about why I did not apply straight away I wanted to be in the best possible position so that I would not have to defer and hopefully just have to take the test once and not have to go back to the bottom on the waiting list again if I did happen to fail.

But you could have got to the top of the waiting list twice during you 1st Provisional!

pocketvenus wrote:

If you have a look at the RSA website now they have recently added a note to say that you should build up your driving experience and confidence before applying for your test

That is because some people on Provisional Licences (where there is no 6 month restriction) were being offered tests within weeks of applying and had not prepared for them.

techdiver

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

So you know everyone on the waiting list?

Nice.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

They are way ahead of their targets.

I'm just going to agree because you won't change your mind anyway. Maybe you'd sing a different tune if you were stuck in the position of some other people here.

A few simple points:

1) Having a public phone number to call that is never answered is not acceptable.

2) I have written emails, posted letters tried calling and have been ignored on all fronts, but of course I'm lazy and have no one to blame but myself.

3) The public service in this country have bench marking to the levels of the private sector and above, so they should be held to the same standard as the private sector.

If a private sector company was run in such a way, it would not last very long!

raido9

pocketvenus wrote: »

If you have a look at the RSA website now they have recently added a note to say that you should build up your driving experience and confidence before applying for your test. This exactly what I did.

They mean you should build up your driving experience and confidence before applying, its implied that you do that with a fully licensed driver in the car with you, since that is the law.

They don't mean you should drive around as if you had a full licence until your bothered enough to do the test.

ec18

I know half a dozen people who all got test dates within 5-6 weeks applying. One of my friends sat into a car for the first time in March and passed his test in April. So this twelve years to get comfortable is bullsh!t. The longer you are driving on your own outside of lessons and un supervised the more likely you are to fail due to picking up bad Habits.

dreamingoak: Your Attitude is one not uncommon in Ireland ah sure i've been driving for years i''m ok. Prosecute the younger drivers, but the bottom line is that no matter how long you have been driving for you, or how safe a driver you think you are. You have yet to prove that you meant the standard of competency by passing your test. Until then you shouldn't be driving alone! In fact that makes so much sense that they even made a law out of it :P

Digidaz

May I just say good luck with the test dreamingoak

I have been driving for nearly 5 years. Did the test about 2 years ago and failed because of "Coasting". I should have re-applied again but never did as there was no insentive to do so.

I re-applied again in Oct along with the masses was unsuccessful on 2nd attempt because of "not using the handbreak enough" Test in April (Tuam)

So 3rd time lucky test in early June Passed with a comment from the tester "You are a excellect driver !" (Athlone)

Again best of luck to all with tests coming up

raido9

Digidaz wrote: »

May I just say good luck with the test dreamingoak

I have been driving for nearly 5 years. Did the test about 2 years ago and failed because of "Coasting". I should have re-applied again but never did as there was no insentive to do so.

I re-applied again in Oct along with the masses was unsuccessful on 2nd attempt because of "not using the handbreak enough" Test in April (Tuam)

So 3rd time lucky test in early June Passed with a comment from the tester "You are a excellect driver !" (Athlone)

Again best of luck to all with tests coming up

Congrats, interestingly it took two months for you to get your third test after applying, which just happens to be the rsa average.

pocketvenus

raido9 wrote: »

They mean you should build up your driving experience and confidence before applying, its implied that you do that with a fully licensed driver in the car with you, since that is the law.

They don't mean you should drive around as if you had a full licence until your bothered enough to do the test.

Excuse me but I fully complied with the law and had a fully licensed driver with me on my 1st provisional even thought that involved putting my relations out, as nobody only me in my house drives so I had a very considerate and helpful aunt and uncle who came with me, and before you say I am not looking for sympathy as there are plenty of other people in same situation. When did I ever say I broke the law and drove on my own so far i have fully complied with the law on my 1st and 2nd provisional. From Monday onwards I will be off the road until the RSA "bother" to give me a test date.

My first priority when I got my car was always to get my lessons and get up to test standard as fast as possible. It was never a case of I could not be bothered to get my test and would wait until I was forced to.

techdiver

pocketvenus wrote: »

From Monday onwards I will be off the road until the RSA "bother" to give me a test date.

Exactly, the RSA should at least provide a test date to those of us who have applied long enough ago to exceed the "magical average" waiting time.

raido9

pocketvenus wrote: »

Excuse me but I fully complied with the law and had a fully licensed driver with me on my 1st provisional even thought that involved putting my relations out, as nobody only me in my house drives so I had a very considerate and helpful aunt and uncle who came with me, and before you say I am not looking for sympathy as there are plenty of other people in same situation. When did I ever say I broke the law and drove on my own so far i have fully complied with the law on my 1st and 2nd provisional. From Monday onwards I will be off the road until the RSA "bother" to give me a test date.

My first priority when I got my car was always to get my lessons and get up to test standard as fast as possible. It was never a case of I could not be bothered to get my test and would wait until I was forced to.

How are you going to be off the road? your just back to a situation of having to have a licenced driver with you?

Alanstrainor

techdiver wrote: »

Exactly, the RSA should at least provide a test date to those of us who have applied long enough ago to exceed the "magical average" waiting time.

There is no way that could be feasibly implemented, first come first served is the only logical way to go about it.

pocketvenus

raido9 wrote: »

How are you going to be off the road? your just back to a situation of having to have a licenced driver with you?

It is virtually impossible for me to have a fully licensed driver with me all the time as I stated it is only I who drive in my household. My aunt and uncle no longer live in the area as they moved county so I have to rely on a couple of friends who have their full licenses but seeing as some of them work shift work and the others live a good bit away it is a bit much to expect them to drive all the way into me just because I want to go down to the shop.
So I will comply with the law and stay off the roads until I can find somebody with nothing better to do than be at my beck and call all day until I pass my test.