“Today’s applicants could be waiting a year or more for a full licence unless an innovative solution is found”.
Over 50,000 drivers across the country could pay €600 more for insurance due to driving test delays caused by Covid-19.
It is possible that due to delays to driving tests around the country, thousands of provisional licensed drivers will be forced to renew insurance policies for up to €600 more than a fully licensed driver, and that, based on the waiting times, they may have to repeat this for a second year if an innovative solution isn’t found.
This comes shortly after the Road Safety Authority called on non-essential workers to cancel their tests so that frontline workers could be moved up the lengthy queue.
The RSA said: “It is a matter for each individual with a driving test date to satisfy themselves that they are involved in delivering an essential service or essential retail outlet.”
As a result, insurance company coverinaclick.ie is calling for permission to be granted to EDT Driving Instructors to inspect a drivers’ ability, and examine their proficiency on the road.
As a result, they will then be able to receive a full licence without sitting a traditional test.
The online brokers say that while the newly suggested initiative may not be possible to roll out across the board, as most of the 85,000 on the waiting list will have already completed their driver training, it could be trialled on the 24,000+ drivers on the Essential Driver Training (EDT) wait list, which is growing by the week.
Deirdre McCarthy, Manager with Coverinaclick.ie, described how the temporary initiative could work in practice: “While not ideal, this calculated grade style system seems to be one of very few feasible options to tackle a problem that is only going to get much worse.
“The RSA have already stated how difficult it is to apply the necessary Covid protocols in the driving test environment and it is widely accepted that these protocols will be in place for at least another 6 months”.
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