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The Journal
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Journal
Irish hauliers accuse the RSA of ‘massaging' driving test wait times
LAST UPDATE | 35 mins ago THE IRISH ROAD HAULAGE Association (IRHA) has accused the RSA of 'massaging' figures for waiting lists for driving tests for cars by moving testing away from buses and trucks. Last week, the RSA reported a 'significant drop' in driving test wait times. It said that as of 12 July, the average national waiting time to receive a driving test invitation has dropped to 14.4 weeks, surpassing the RSA's mid-July target of 18 weeks by 20%. The RSA added that this marked a further improvement from the 16.3 weeks recorded two weeks previous , and a 'dramatic' reduction from the peak of 27 weeks at the end of April. The RSA also said it 'remains firmly on course to achieve its long-term goal of bringing average waiting times down to 10 weeks by September'. A spokesperson said the progress was due to a 'series of targeted measures to expand capacity and streamline operations', such as additional testers and planned new testing centres in Drogheda and Sandyford which are due to become operational by September. However, the IRHA today claimed that that RSA is achieving this reduction in waiting times by 'moving testers from articulated truck, bus and truck testing to car testing'. The IRHA added that waiting times have reduced for car driving tests but have 'increased exponentially for commercial driving tests'. It said that between April and June, there's been a 42% increase in wait times for trucks (42%) and a 40% increase for articulated trucks. The IRHA also pointed to a 'backlog in the testing of bus drivers' and said that this is a 'crisis in the making for the commercial driving industry'. Ger Hyland, president of the IRHA, claimed that the RSA decided to move testers away from buses and truck and towards cars due to 'intense political pressure'. Hyland described it as 'effectively robbing Peter to pay Paul at a time when the haulage sector is desperately short on drivers'. 'Young Irish drivers who need a license to drive a bus, truck or HGV cannot get licenses because the RSA have all but stopped commercial testing to focus on car testing,' said Hyland. Advertisement 'They have pulled the wool over this government's eyes and instead of dealing with the high demand for testing, they decided to simply move the deck chairs around the Titanic.' He added that some companies are 'forced to bring in drivers from South Africa instead whilst young Irish people are forced to move abroad and drive there'. 'The RSA know that the car testing figures are what will garner more media and political focus,' said Hyland. '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 economy running.' Hyland went on to say that the RSA is 'clearly not fit for purpose' and called for it to be removed from the driver testing system 'before any more damage to the Irish economy is done'. In a statement to The Journal , the RSA said it is 'fully committed to delivering fair and timely access to driving tests across all licence categories'. A spokesperson said that in May, it delivered 'record levels of Category C and D (truck and bus) tests in preparation for the release of our experienced staff from the service to support the training of our new recruits'. The spokesperson said this resulted in a reduction of testing staff to support the higher licence categories during June and July. 'This short-term adjustment is already delivering improvements in overall capacity,' said the RSA. 'Once the new testers are fully deployed from early September, waiting times for all licence categories — including commercial — will stabilise and meet service-level agreements.' The RSA said that at the end of June, 2,738 people were awaiting a truck or bus driving test. It added that these individuals will be issued with an invitation in the coming weeks and that the RSA expects to exceed testing for the higher categories in 2025 when compared to last year. The RSA added: 'We note in recent months, the IRHA expressed concern about long waiting times for car driving tests, warning of the 'safety risks' that delays were contributing to potentially more unaccompanied learner drivers sharing the road with professional HGV drivers. 'Addressing that issue has been a national priority.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Hauliers accuse RSA of moving driving testers off commercial vehicles
Hauliers have accused the Road Safety Authority (RSA) of moving driving testers from articulated truck, bus and truck testing to car testing in order to reduce wait times for car driving tests, causing waiting times for commercial driving tests to increase. The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has presented its claims in a letter to Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien and Minister of State at the Department of Transport Sean Canney. The group said waiting lists for car drivers fell by 10 per cent between April and June but that there was a significant increase in the wait times for truck (42 per cent) and articulated truck (40 per cent) tests over the same period. It said there was also a backlog for bus drivers. The RSA and the Department of Transport have been contacted for comment. READ MORE IRHA president Ger Hyland described the situation as 'a crisis in the making' for hauliers, and said the RSA came under 'intense political pressure' to move their testing resources from commercial testing into car testing, rather than expand their testing capabilities overall. The IRHA said the improvement in waiting times for car drivers and the increased backlog for commercial drivers coincided with a period during which Mr Canney met with RSA leadership and gave it a deadline to come up with proposals to improve driving test wait times. The group has now called for the driver testing system to be removed from the remit of the RSA. Mr Hyland accused the RSA of playing a 'dangerous game', describing it as 'effectively robbing Peter to pay Paul' at a time when the haulage sector is 'desperately short on drivers'. He said the delays were 'stifling economic growth' in rural Ireland by delaying the qualification of suitably qualified professional drivers who are 'desperately needed' to support small and medium sized businesses across the country. 'Young Irish drivers who need a license to drive a bus, truck or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) cannot get licenses because the RSA have all but stopped commercial testing to focus on car testing,' he said. 'They have pulled the wool over this Government's eyes and instead of dealing with the high demand for testing, they decided to simply move the deck chairs around the Titanic.' Mr Hyland claimed 'driving school owners' have told the group that commercial driving license testing in Ireland has 'all but stopped' over the past two months. 'That means no new bus drivers, truck drivers, HGV drivers,' he said. '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 South Africa instead whilst young Irish people are forced to move abroad and drive there – all because of the mismanagement of our testing system.' He said one HGV driving instructor in Kerry told the group he did not have a scheduled commercial driving test in the Tralee centre since May and wasn't expecting one until at least August. '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,' Mr Hyland added.
RTÉ News
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Hauliers accuse RSA of 'massaging' driver testing figures
The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has accused the Road Safety Authority (RSA) of "massaging" driver testing figures by moving testers from one category to another. It accused the RSA of moving testers from articulated truck, bus and truck tests to car tests in order to reduce wait times for car driving tests, adding that waiting times for commercial driving tests have increased "exponentially". Hauliers have said that this has caused the waiting lists for driving tests for a car to fall by 10% between April and June but has led to a "significant increase" in the wait times for truck (42%) and articulated truck (40%) tests during the same period. The association has described it as a "crisis in the making" for the commercial driving industry. IRHA president Ger Hyland said young Irish drivers who need a license to drive a bus, truck or HGV "cannot get licenses" because the RSA "have all but stopped commercial testing to focus on car testing." He claimed that driving school owners have said commercial driving license testing in Ireland has all but stopped over the last two months. "That means no new bus drivers, truck drivers, HGV drivers," he said. Mr Hyland claimed the actions of the RSA are "stifling economic growth in rural Ireland by delaying the qualification of suitably qualified professional drivers who are desperately needed to support small and medium sized businesses across the country." Number of applicants waiting for tests increased According to figures provided by the Central Statistics Office to the association, there was a 27% increase in the number of driving test applicants waiting at month end for a test between June 2024 and June 2025. Between April and June this year, the RSA recorded a 10% drop in the number of driving test applicants. However, the number of applicants waiting for an articulated truck license test between April and June 2025 rose by 39.6%. The number of applicants waiting at month end for a category C truck license driving test rose by 42% between April and June 2025, going from 907 to 1289 people. The figures show a decrease in new driving test applications for category C truck licenses of 12.6% between April and June 2025. It also recorded an 8.5% decrease for new category CE articulated truck tests between April and June 2025. The CSO figures also show that the 'driving test applicants scheduled' for cars/light vans between April and June 2025 increased by 49.2% from 15,287 tests to 22,810 scheduled tests. The number of scheduled tests for category C trucks fell by 61.8% from 356 to 136, while those for articulated trucks (CE license) fell by 69% from 242 tests scheduled in April 2025 to 75 tests in June. IRHA call on Govt to remove testing from RSA Mr Hyland claimed these figures coincide with a period where Minister of State Séan Canney met with the RSA leadership in the Department of Transport, giving a deadline to the RSA to return in two weeks with "sustainable proposals to improve driving test wait times". The IRHA has called on Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien to remove the driver testing system from the RSA "before any more damage to the Irish economy is done". "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," he said. "These are the drivers we need to bring tourists around, deliver goods and keep our economy running. The RSA have learned nothing in the past six months and have demonstrated that their organisation is clearly not fit for purpose."
Irish Daily Mirror
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish truckers rage that overgrown hedges are causing 'significant' accidents
Irish truckers say overgrown hedges on rural roads are leading to 'a significant number' of road traffic accidents. The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) is calling on local authorities to ensure that roadside hedges are cut back, especially at busy junctions. Overgrown hedges are blocking sightlines at junctions, obstructing road signs and causing unnecessary accidents, according to the hauliers. The association is urging local authorities to cut hedgerows up to four metres high and consider both truck and trailer heights. A 2024 Ipsos B&A survey commissioned by the RSA found that 75% of 620 HGV drivers reported overgrown roadside hedgerows to be challenging while driving. IRHA President Ger Hyland said these overgrown hedges are also causing significant damage to vehicles. He said: 'When hedges encroach onto the road, truck drivers are often forced to veer across the white line in order to avoid damage to their vehicles and wing mirrors, creating a dangerous situation for all road users. 'On average a medium sized haulier is losing 2 mirrors a week on their truck fleet. That is a cost of €1000 euro a week due to mismanagement of our roadside vegetation.' The hauliers also noted that overgrown hedges can be extremely dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, as they can push them out onto traffic with little warning. So far this year, 79 people have died on Irish roads, this includes 20 pedestrians and eight pedal cyclists. Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 states that landowners have a clear responsibility to maintain roadside hedgerows. However, Mr Hyland said he believes this enforcement is 'non-existent' by the local authorities. He is calling on councils to be more proactive when engaging with landowners. While hedge-cutting is prohibited from March 1 to August 31, it is allowed when overgrowth poses a road safety risk.
RTÉ News
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Hauliers say overgrown hedges on rural roads 'dangerous'
Road hauliers have said the lack of hedgerow management on rural roads is leading to a significant number of road traffic accidents. The Irish Road Haulage Association said its members are "sick and tired" of encountering dangerous tree branches and protruding hedges. The organisation has called on local authorities to ensure roadside hedges are cut back, particularly at busy junctions. Members say overgrown hedges are blocking sightlines at junctions, obstructing road signs and causing accidents on rural roads. IRHA President Ger Hyland said overgrown hedges are especially dangerous for high-sided vehicles, like trucks. "When hedges encroach onto the road, truck drivers are often forced to veer across the white line in order to avoid damage to their vehicles and wing mirrors, creating a dangerous situation for all road users," he said. "An average medium sized haulier is losing two mirrors a week on their truck fleet. That is a cost of €1,000 euro a week due to mismanagement of our roadside vegetation." The IRHA said in a statement that overgrown hedges and briers are also dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians, as they can push them out into traffic at the last minute. Mr Hyland said section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 sets out "a clear responsibility" on landowners to maintain roadside hedgerows. He criticised local authorities for not enforcing this rule and called on them to be more proactive when engaging with local landowners who border rural roads. Hedge-cutting is prohibited from 1 March to 31 August, but there is an exemption in cases where overgrowth poses a road safety hazard. Mr Hyland said the IRHA is aware of the importance of hedgerows and biodiversity, but road safety must take priority.
