logo
‘Significant increase' in truck & bus driving test wait times as hauliers accuse RSA of ‘massaging' driver test figures

‘Significant increase' in truck & bus driving test wait times as hauliers accuse RSA of ‘massaging' driver test figures

The Irish Sun21-07-2025
MORE than a thousand people are waiting to sit their truck and bus driving test according to shock new claims.
The Irish Road Haulage Association has accused the
Advertisement
2
The RSA has been accused of "massaging" the driving test wait times figures
Credit: RSA
2
The waiting times for commercial tests have increased in recent months
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
The hauliers revealed this was done to reduce the waiting times for car driving tests, while the waiting times for commercial
As a result, the waiting lists for car tests fell by 10 per cent between April and June.
This has led to a "significant increase" in the waiting times for
According to figures provided by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the number of applicants waiting for an articulated truck test rose by 39.6 per cent.
Advertisement
READ MORE ON RSA
And those waiting for a category C truck test increased by 42 per cent, going from 907 people to 1,289 people waiting for the tests.
It has also caused a backlog in the testing of bus drivers, describing it as "a crisis in the making for the
The figures also show a 12.6 per cent decrease in driving test applications for category C truck licences between April and June 2025.
And the applications for category CE articulated truck tests dropped by 8.5 per cent.
Advertisement
Most read in Motors
Additionally, the stats indicate that between April and June 2025, the number of applicants scheduled for driving tests for cars and light vans rose by 49.2 per cent, from 15,287 to 22,810 scheduled tests.
And the number of scheduled tests for articulated trucks decreased by 69 per cent from 242 scheduled tests in April 2025 to merely 75 scheduled tests in June 2025.
I'm an Irish driving instructor and here is why your friends are failing the test
The number of scheduled tests for category C trucks decreased by 61.8 per cent from 356 to 136 tests planned during the same period.
The association made their claims in separate letters to Minister for Transport
Advertisement
They both have a deadline to return in two weeks with "sustainable proposals to improve driving test wait times".
Ger Hyland claims that the RSA's actions are hindering
He said: "Young Irish drivers who need a license to drive a
"They have pulled the wool over this governments eyes and instead of dealing with the high demand for testing, they decided to simply move the deck chairs around the
Advertisement
'DEVASTATING IMPACT'
Hyland added: "Driving school owners are telling us that commercial driving license testing in Ireland has all but stopped over the last 2 months. That means no new bus drivers, truck drivers, HGV drivers.
"We have young Irish people who want to drive for a living but cannot get a license so we are forced to bring in drivers from
"One HGV driving instructor in
"He told of the devastating impact this was having on his business and how he had young drivers waiting since January for a commercial driving test to try and get a job."
Advertisement
'CLEARLY NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE'
He continued: "The RSA know that the car testing figures are what will garner more media and political focus.
"That is why they moved their resources there, at the expense of the commercial driving sector.
"They just moved the driving test crisis from cars to commercial vehicles, leading to severe backlogs in the testing system for bus, HGV and truck drivers.
"These are the drivers we need to bring tourists around, deliver goods and keep our
Advertisement
"The RSA have learned nothing in the past 6 months and have demonstrated that their organisation is clearly not fit for purpose."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Planning sought for major service station plaza in Galway
Planning sought for major service station plaza in Galway

Irish Independent

timean hour ago

  • Irish Independent

Planning sought for major service station plaza in Galway

The proposed development includes a a 'state of the art' off-line service area providing motor fuel as well as food and beverages and rest facilities along the Galway Road (R458) in Gort. The plans, put forward by Riverside Foods Ltd, would see the construction of a single storey service area building containing a shop and off-licence, back-of-house staff/office/WC rooms, storage areas, plant room, pump room, toilet and baby changing facilities. The development would also include food and drink areas comprising self-service areas, the sale of hot and cold food for consumption on and off the premises with seating, freezer/storage areas and food preparation areas, drive-thru food facility to side and rear of the service area building. The fuel station will include six double-pump islands with a forecourt canopy over to include four underground fuel storage tanks, an HGV pump island to include two underground HGV fuel storage tanks, 70 car parking spaces including four disabled accessible spaces, 14 electric vehicle charging spaces seven HGV spaces, three coach spaces, 54 bicycle spaces, five motorcycle spaces and an air/water services area with a further two parking bays. The planning report argues that the development will 'represent a critical piece of infrastructure' and provide 'essential food, beverage, and rest facilities along the Galway/Sligo to Limerick/Cork/Kerry corridor, an area currently underserved'. It went on: 'This development will significantly improve connectivity between Ireland's regional cities outside of Dublin, supporting the broader objective of strengthening inter-urban linkages. Moreover, the proposed service area will act as a catalyst for both direct and indirect employment in a rural context, contributing to local economic resilience.' While Galway already has two plaza service stations, the planning report argues: 'The Galway Plaza in Kiltullagh does not directly serve the M18 motorway and as such does not fill the gap in demand for an on-line/off-line motorway service station between Tuam and Limerick. It should be noted that the N17 Tuam Plaza does not meet the TII criteria to be classified as an on/off-line motorway service area.' A decision on the plans is due by September 15 2025.

Exact location of first-of-its-kind  speed camera revealed as new device set to go live on busy Irish road in DAYS
Exact location of first-of-its-kind  speed camera revealed as new device set to go live on busy Irish road in DAYS

The Irish Sun

time2 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Exact location of first-of-its-kind speed camera revealed as new device set to go live on busy Irish road in DAYS

A NEW speed camera is set to become operational on an Irish road in just days. The latest measures are part of a Advertisement 1 A static speed camera is set to go live on a busy road this week Credit: Getty It is set to be installed in the inner-city suburb Dolphin's Barn as part of a wider push to improve road safety in the capital. The camera will monitor the speed of all And it has been revealed that the static safety camera is set to begin operating from Friday, August 1. Advertisement READ MORE IN MOTORS In a statement, "The Council worked closely with An Garda Síochána to facilitate the installation and initial operation of the camera. "The Static Safety Camera, which is located in Dolphin's Barn, will commence operation from Friday 1 August 2025." It marks the first time a permanent, static speed camera has been introduced within the Dublin City Council area. Advertisement MOST READ IN MOTORS Until now, speed enforcement in the city has relied on mobile units or Starting from this Friday, any vehicle caught speeding over the 50km/h speed limit will face I'm an Irish driving instructor and here is why your friends are failing the test These new cameras are replacing older yellow box models that have been out of action for years, serving as a heads-up to drivers that penalties are on the way if they exceed the limit. Advertisement Regarding the initiative, gardai previously said that speed plays a major role in Irish They said: "Speed is a significant contributor to road deaths and a cause in 30 per cent of fatal collisions. "International experience shows that safety cameras lead to a reduction in speed by drivers. 'Infrastructure and technology for two average safety camera systems have been installed on the N3 and N5 - with the safety camera sites chosen because they meet the criteria as being high collision sites with numerous road traffic collisions, involving injury, serious injury and fatalities.' Advertisement What's more, additional static speed cameras are set to be installed on These cameras will be placed in some of the busiest areas where speeding has been a major concern for quite some time. Gardai revealed that as the new cameras are rolled out, they will keep the public updated on any new locations entering the testing phase. Static speed cameras are fixed cameras set up at certain spots, usually along busy roads, to catch drivers speeding. Advertisement They're "static" because they don't move - they're mounted on poles or buildings and they automatically snap a photo of your licence plate if you're speeding. These cameras use radar or laser technology to detect the speed of passing vehicles. If a vehicle is speeding, the camera captures an image of the vehicle's licence plate, along with details like the speed at which it was travelling and the time of the violation. The aim is to encourage drivers to adhere to speed limits by providing a constant automated presence without requiring gardai to be on-site. Advertisement

I'm an Irish driving instructor and simple mistake could make you fail the test
I'm an Irish driving instructor and simple mistake could make you fail the test

The Irish Sun

timea day ago

  • The Irish Sun

I'm an Irish driving instructor and simple mistake could make you fail the test

AN Irish driving instructor has revealed a simple mistake that could make you fail the test. Novice 2 @Vistadrivingschool is a popular Irish driving instructor on TikTok Credit: Journalist Collect 2 And he shared what simple mistake you should avoid to pass Credit: Journalist Collect @Vistadrivingschool is a popular Irish driving instructor on And he shared with his followers what simple measure you should avoid to pass the test. When the instructor brought out a learner driver for a pre-test, he failed by the skin of his teeth due to observations for moving off. He said: "So someone that I brought out for pre-test failed his exam on observation for moving off. READ MORE IN MOTORS "He was asked to pull in on the left and stop five times during his exam. "Then when it was on his last one as he was heading back to the test centre, he didn't check over his right shoulder." In the When it comes to moving off, it is crucial to follow the correct procedures, such as GOSHO, whether you're pulling out from a parked position or beginning your test from the driving centre. MOST READ IN MOTORS On the day, what your tester is looking for is whether you've properly judged your surroundings, picked a safe gap in traffic and made yourself visible to others. The driving instructor said: "When it comes to moving off, make sure that you are using GOSHO: Gear, Observation, Signal, Handbrake and last Observation. I'm an Irish driving instructor and here is when you are allowed to overtake on a continuous white line during your test "And when you're pulling off from a left-side position and actually driving off straight, it is so important to check your right shoulder." Even after you've checked everything and signalled, you should still do a quick final glance in the mirrors and over your shoulder just before you release the handbrake and move off. Conditions can change quickly and someone might suddenly appear in your blind spot or a car could turn onto That last look shows the examiner that you're not relying on memory and you're staying aware right up to the point of movement. The driving instructor added: "During your driving test, if the tester asks you to pull in 7, 8, 9 times to the left and stop and then to pull off again safely, make sure you're checking your blind spots correctly." Driving test tip This comes after another TikToker shared the @Next_level_driving_school on TikTok shares useful tips and tricks on their page. Faded L-plates could give your driving instructor a reason to cancel your test, resulting in the loss of your test fee. He said: "It's probably best not to turn up to your test with faded L-plates, as your test might not go ahead, and it will be a waste of €85. "So make sure your L-plates are in good condition and not faded, so the tester does not have a reason not to go out on the test with you."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store