Latest news with #waitingtime
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Driving test times fall after measures put in place
A fall in the average national waiting time for a driving test to just under 21 weeks has been described by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) as 'encouraging early progress'. The average wait was 20.6 weeks as of May 31st, down from 21.4 the previous week, which the RSA said was 'significantly ahead of the forecasted 25 weeks'. It said the reduction reflected the 'pace and focus' with which the RSA had been implementing targeted measures outlined in an action plan. The plan, published last month after the average wait reached 27 weeks at the end of April, aims to reach its service-level agreement target of 10 weeks by early September. READ MORE That move followed meetings with Minister of State for Transport Seán Canney and repeated criticism in recent years over the backlogs, with 100,000 learners waiting last month. The waiting time for those booking a driving test varies significantly when broken down by centre, with Tallaght currently having the longest estimated wait of 36 weeks. Once a learner receives an invitation to book a test, they then choose from appointment slots over the following three to five weeks, according to the RSA. [ Driving test logjam: how to beat the long waiting times Opens in new window ] Learner drivers hoping to book a test in Navan , Co Meath, face a wait of 32 weeks, according to RSA estimates. The centre in Charlestown, north Dublin currently has the shortest estimated wait at nine weeks, followed by Donegal at 12 weeks. Measures announced under the action plan include new driving test centres in key areas, which the RSA said are in the final stages of the contracting process. A spokeswoman said the RSA was not yet in a position to confirm the exact locations of these new centres, 'but it's our hope to have these operational within the coming weeks'. The time during which tests take place has been extended from 7.25am to 7pm for the last three weeks, while staff worked during the recent bank holiday weekend, when more than 700 tests were scheduled. While there is still a 'considerable journey ahead' to reach the 10-week service-level agreement, Brendan Walsh, the RSA's chief operations officer said: 'We are encouraged by the early indicators of progress.'
South China Morning Post
14-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Wait time for Hong Kong public rental flat still at 5.3 years, but applications plummet
The average waiting time for a Hong Kong public rental flat has remained at 5.3 years as of the first quarter of this year while there has been a significant drop in application numbers, which authorities have attributed to the new supply and higher turnover of homes in the city. Advertisement The city's largest public housing provider, the Housing Authority, also revealed on Wednesday that about 4,700 general applicants – families or elderly households – were allocated homes between January and March. Among them, a total of 2,300 households were allocated new flats in Hin Fat Estate in Tuen Mun and Pak Tin Estate in Sham Shui Po, while the remaining families were housed in refurbished homes recovered from tenants, including those who surrendered their properties after purchasing subsidised flats or who were evicted due to tenancy abuse. As of March, the city had about 116,400 general applicants for public rental homes, marking a 26 per cent drop from the peak of 156,400 cases in September 2020. 'Following the gradual completion of new public housing projects and the Housing Department's enhanced effectiveness in combating tenancy abuse, coupled with intakes of [subsidised sale flat projects], a number of public rental housing tenants vacated their flats as a result of the purchase of subsidised sale flats,' the authority said. Advertisement '[It] expedited the turnover of public rental flats [and] the number of general applicants has therefore decreased.'
