A Kerry County Councillor is calling on the Government to urgently increase the number of driving testers in the county before the waiting list for driving tests gets ‘totally out of hand.’
Information released to Cllr Jackie Healy Rae – and correct as of 10th January 2021 from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) shows that there are almost two and half thousand, 2,490 Kerry drivers awaiting a driving test at both of the county’s testing centres in Killarney and Tralee.
Only Five Driving Testers
With just 310 drivers or 12% scheduled test dates, which will be carried out by only five driving testers centred in Kerry. Two in Killarney and a further three in Tralee.
In all, there is a list of 1,219 in the Killarney centre with a further 1,271 in Tralee awaiting a test however, of these 2,490 some 722 have booked dates but are awaiting their Essential Driver Training (EDT) cert before advancing to the test date.
Advance the Process More Rapidly
“It is important that the process is advanced more rapidly as many of these drivers who are awaiting a test still need a driver to accompany them to drive them to work.
For many a full license is also a requirement of employment and we are failing these people.
Importance of Secure Employment
And we are failing them particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic when secure employment is so vital, not alone to the individual but in some cases to whole families”
Cllr Jackie Healy Rae has renewed his calls on the Minster for Transport Eamon Ryan, TD, to increase the number of testers in Kerry, a call, which he says ‘fell on deaf ears from the last Minster for Transport Shane Ross.’
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