Indo: End of the road for L-plate cowboys as test overhauled

seamus

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A NEW agency is to be set up by the Government to end the L-plate scandal and wipe out cowboy driving instructors.
More than 130 civil servants are to be transferred initially to the stand-alone driver-testing company, the Irish Independent has learnt. And as part of the radical overhaul of the testing and training regime, all instructors will have to register with the organisation, which will introduce tough tuition standards.
The authority will also oversee the establishment of a more modern driving test, following a Government report that branded the current test completely inadequate.
The move comes amid rising concern about the number of untrained and untested motorists on the roads. Last week, the Irish Independent revealed that 359,000 people have provisional licences, covering 592,843 vehicles. This includes 15,000 trucks, 43,812 motorcycles, 72,163 small motorcycles, 40,165 mopeds, 3,427 buses and 2,828 minibuses. Almost 67,000 learner car drivers have been on the road for up to eight years.
Mr Brennan singled out the number of truck and motorcycle drivers holding provisional licences as "a major problem and worry".
The new body will have wide-ranging powers in relation to producing a new driving test, after a recent report revealed widespread variations in pass and failure rates.
It showed that the result often depended on what part of the country learner drivers sat their tests in - and it raised issues surrounding the ability of some testers to properly assess candidates.
It is expected that the new company will establish testing centres along the lines of the NCT vehicle test, with a common test and with candidates shown exactly how they fared.
There has been widespread criticism of the lack of state control of driving instructors; the new company will set down new standards under which they will have to operate.
"Instructors will have to register with the new agency. And it will lay down standards and will enforce them," said Mr Brennan.
The minister also disclosed yesterday that he would be asking the garda authorities to get behind a big push against learner drivers who break the law by not using L-plates.
He revealed that not wearing a seat belt will shortly become an offence under the penalty-points system. Mr Brennan said he was concerned that only 25pc of people wore seat belts in the back of cars, even though required to by law. He was also worried that only half of car users wore seat belts even though they are a major factor in serious accidents.
Treacy Hogan, Environment Correspondent

I think everyone will agree when I say "It's about fcking time!".