lack of testers

NOTSURE

anyone looking to do a test in finglas or raheny should be aware that due to cutbacks in mileage allowances some testers will stop testing bikes in the next few weeks this will leave two testers in the northside doing bikes .wonder what rsa will do to solve problem.

KTRIC

Thats not good :mad:

Cuddlesworth

What's the waiting list at the moment? 1 year on the southside, I know that much.

Dan Sanchez

They say its 10 weeks for a test but I had to wait over a year.
Im on the list to do it again...

rgfuller

Applied on the 9/9/08 in Tallaght and got a test date for the middle of April 09. Which makes it just over 7 months.

n.catenthusiast

Eight months in Chruchtown- pure fascism....

randomway

I have 4 months to go until I can take the test, but looking at these news I am thinking of applying now... would the wait in other cities like Naas or Wicklow be shorter, what do you think?

reece

n.catenthusiast wrote: »

Eight months in Chruchtown- pure fascism....

churchtown doesn't do it anymore - all applicants to that centre now go t tallaght

Del2005

randomway wrote: »

I have 4 months to go until I can take the test, but looking at these news I am thinking of applying now... would the wait in other cities like Naas or Wicklow be shorter, what do you think?

Your best bet is to ring the RSA and ask the waiting time for bikes. They only do them in batches with several months in between each batch.

And when did Naas or Wicklow become cities;)

Edit:- I was waiting nearly a nearly a year in Churchtown and only got it after I called up about getting a test time, as I'd just had a lesson where the instructor told me they where changing the test in the next few weeks.

seanybiker

i only had to wait a few weeks here in waterford to do it. That was a couple of years ago. Dont know what its like now.

RosieJoe

randomway wrote: »

I have 4 months to go until I can take the test, but looking at these news I am thinking of applying now... would the wait in other cities like Naas or Wicklow be shorter, what do you think?

Waited a year to get a test date for Wicklow last November. Had originally applied for Churchtown and moved it after a couple of months. At the time Raheny was the quickest test centre.

As said, ring the RSA and ask them for the best place to apply to.

gipi

Raheny hasn't been used as a test centre since the additional manouveres were introduced last September, so changes to mileage for the testers won't make any difference there.

As far as I can tell, the only Dublin test centres used now are Finglas and Tallaght.

unklerosco

I applied last november and still haven't heard anything... Been trying to ring them all last week but they never answer the phones.. Its a joke

n.catenthusiast

Well Holy God!

Got a polite email from RSA informing me that Churchtown indeed do not do tests and I've been transferred to Tallaght. I'd be informed of my test date 'in due course'.

So I gave them a ring and after a pleasant 10 minute wait I'm told that 'due course' refers to 15 months, of which I've knocked off about 5 at this stage.

Seems harsh on top of the two years restricted license business....

Cuddlesworth

n.catenthusiast wrote: »

Well Holy God!

Got a polite email from RSA informing me that Churchtown indeed do not do tests and I've been transferred to Tallaght. I'd be informed of my test date 'in due course'.

So I gave them a ring and after a pleasant 10 minute wait I'm told that 'due course' refers to 15 months, of which I've knocked off about 5 at this stage.

Seems harsh on top of the two years restricted license business....

Crap, I applied there too. 4 Months ago. So two years wait for the one centre on the southside who do bike tests. Christ I love the sheer stupidity of this country.

randomway

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Crap, I applied there too. 4 Months ago. So two years wait for the one centre on the southside who do bike tests. Christ I love the sheer stupidity of this country.

You can check the RSA website: http://www.drivingtest.ie/frameset.html

It looks like the waiting times are much lower outisde of Dublin.

Cuddlesworth

I have a problem with driving half way across the country to do my test. I live in Dublin, the place with the largest population density. I pay my tax's for a service to be provided to me, within reasonable distance from where I live.Is it too much to ask that waiting times for a test be under 8 weeks?

Either way, it looks like car tests will be back up to a year pretty soon, numbers in Dublin climbing rapidly since SGS centres were closed. Which I'm sure will have a knock on effect to bike tests.

Del2005

randomway wrote: »

You can check the RSA website: http://www.drivingtest.ie/frameset.html

It looks like the waiting times are much lower outisde of Dublin.

That only gives the waiting times for cars. When I applied for Churchtown in late 2007 the waiting time was less then 20 weeks. I only got my test after I rang up and asked in Sep what the delay was, they gave me a test date on the next Monday (I rang on Thursday evening) and they said that they wheren't doing bike tests in Churchtown for a few months after this date. So they only do bikes tests in batches and now only a few centres in Dublin.

And then they use the stats the a huge % of bikers are on permits and it's near impossible to get a test date.

n.catenthusiast

On specific reason for the introduction of the L plate tabards was to encourage people to go to the effort of passing the test yet it seems that they make no attempt to deliver reasonable testing times. It'd break yr heart.

Anybody know of any test centres with reasonable wait times anywhere on this fair isle? I'd go pretty much anywhere at this point.....

Del2005

n.catenthusiast wrote: »

On specific reason for the introduction of the L plate tabards was to encourage people to go to the effort of passing the test yet it seems that they make no attempt to deliver reasonable testing times. It'd break yr heart.

Anybody know of any test centres with reasonable wait times anywhere on this fair isle? I'd go pretty much anywhere at this point.....

The quickest way is to call the RSA, the lists aren't any good, and ask for the shortest time for bikes. Alternatively ring them and ask for a cancellation, as I said I only got 4 days notice but I don't think they where going to call anyone in for the date I got. Any dealings I've had with the RSA has been good.

seanybiker

n.catenthusiast wrote: »

Anybody know of any test centres with reasonable wait times anywhere on this fair isle? I'd go pretty much anywhere at this point.....

I only had to wait a couple of weeks in waterford a few years back. Dont know what its like now. Two of me mates done em a couple of months back had to wait longer than I did but I think it was only 2 or 3 months .

unklerosco

Finally got through to them, I had started to think I hadn't actually booked a test but they confirmed it over the phone.. Got a date for late April, Yipee!!!! Hope I pass the bloody thing now...

n.catenthusiast

unklerosco wrote: »

Finally got through to them, I had started to think I hadn't actually booked a test but they confirmed it over the phone.. Got a date for late April, Yipee!!!! Hope I pass the bloody thing now...

Can I ask Unklerosco, was it in November 2008 you applied?

And which test centre did you apply in?

I only ask cause I'm keen to find some way around the 15 months I've been quoted.

it's such an achievment getting a test date I'd almost forgotten about passing it :rolleyes:

unklerosco

It was nov/dec 08 and I applied for Finglas.. Think I read somewhere that they've the most testers..

Cuddlesworth

I got my mail saying I'm being moved to Tallagh from Churchtown. Balls.

Anybody got any info on those weekend license courses in England?

gipi

n.catenthusiast wrote: »

Can I ask Unklerosco, was it in November 2008 you applied?

And which test centre did you apply in?

I only ask cause I'm keen to find some way around the 15 months I've been quoted.

it's such an achievment getting a test date I'd almost forgotten about passing it :rolleyes:

If you can get a headed letter from your employer stating you need the licence for work, you may be able to jump the queue. Not sure how feasible that is for bikes, but worth thinking about?

gipi

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I got my mail saying I'm being moved to Tallagh from Churchtown. Balls.

Anybody got any info on those weekend license courses in England?

What you're looking for are the Direct Access Courses - a quick google brought up several UK companies offering same. Here's one example I picked at random. Think you have to have a UK provisional licence though (which means having a UK address.....)

Del2005

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I got my mail saying I'm being moved to Tallagh from Churchtown. Balls.

Anybody got any info on those weekend license courses in England?

I had a quick look at them before and it involves having to get a commissioner of oaths or some other person of high standing to sign a form stating that you are resident in the UK to apply for you provisional licence. I didn't know anyone who would sign it for me so I didn't bother applying. If you look through here you can see the procedure to follow.

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers.aspx


Also the UK is having huge problems introducing the new test so I don't know how that will affect you trying to do it.