More than 2,400 learners in Galway waiting for driving test

More than 2,400 learner drivers are waiting to sit their driving test at one of Galway’s four test centres, according to new figures from the Road Safety Authority.

The figures – which were correct as of last week – also show that while the average waiting time nationally for a test is just under nine weeks, there are ‘longest wait’ times of test centres in County Galway of up to thirteen weeks.

According to the RSA, there are currently 2,403 drivers in Galway City and county currently either waiting for a test appointment or scheduled an appointment, while a further 996 are currently classed as ‘unavailable’ to take an appointment for reasons such as not having completed driving lessons.

In the Galway test centre in the Westside, there are 581 waiting for an appointment; 754 scheduled an appointment and 527 unavailable.

In Clifden, 115 are waiting for an appointment; 12 have been given a scheduled appointemnts and 62 are unavailable.

In Tuam, 170 are waiting, a further 209 have been scheduled an appointment and 219 are unavailable to take an appointment.

The figures for Loughrea show 250 people are waiting for an appointment; 312 have been scheduled an appointment and 188 are unavailable.

The RSA target is for a waiting time of 10 weeks – as of last week, the average wait nationally was 8.8 weeks.

Locally, the average wait in Galway City was 7.1 weeks, with a longest wait time of twelve weeks; in Clifden the average was seven weeks (longest wait 13 weeks); in Loughrea the average was 9.2 weeks (longest wait of eleven weeks) and in Tuam, the average was 6.1 weeks, with a longest wait of ten weeks.

The shortest average waits were in Wexford at 5.1 weeks, Naas at 5.2 and Carrick-on-Shannon and Castlebar (both at 5.5 weeks), while the longest averages were in Wicklow (17.6 weeks) and Kilrush, Co Clare at 15.9 weeks.

The longest waiting times recorded as of last week were Limerick (20 weeks), Churchtown, Co Dublin (19 weeks) and Wicklow (18 weeks).

Drivers can apply to sit the test at any centre in the country, regardless of where they live.