Provisional licence-holders earn eight-month reprieve
The Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has announced he is modifying the lead-in time for new rules governing holders of provisional licences.
The 122,000 people affected by the new regulations, which stated that a second-provisional licence holder could only drive in the company of a full-licence holder, now have until next June to complete their driving tests, the Minister said.
However, anyone who applies for a licence from next Tuesday will be issued with a learner permit, obliging them to be accompanied by a driver who has had a full licence for at least two years.
The applicants will also have to have six months of supervised driving practice before applying for a test.
From June 30, 2008, all provisional licence holders must be accompanied by a fully licensed driver of at least two years experience.
"This move is made in response to two clear messages from the public," the Minister said today.
"Firstly, there is strong support for the proposed reforms to improve road safety. Secondly, there is a strong desire for a reasonable lead-in time to enable people to prepare for and take their test or to make alternative arrangements.
"For these reasons I have decided to defer implementation of the requirement for second provisional licence holders to be accompanied until 30th June 2008."
The Minister said the Government was committed to providing the necessary finance to the Road Safety Authority to ensure that all 122, 000 applicants currently on the waiting list will have been tested by early March 2008.
He said that, by the end of June 2008, all applicants for a driving test would be able to get a test within 10 weeks.
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