LEARNERS in Fermanagh have one of the shortest waiting times for a driving test in Northern Ireland, new research has revealed.
Data obtained by the Sterling Insurance company showed it takes an average of 5.07 weeks after booking a test to take it in the county – almost half the time than the longest wait in Northern Ireland.
Enniskillen is the only option in Fermanagh, but it is also the second quickest place for drivers to sit their test.
Omagh, the nearest test centre to Enniskillen, has the shortest waiting time (4.69 weeks) for those who would prefer to travel for a speedier resolution.
People learning to drive in Downpatrick are facing waits of three months for their tests – the longest delay in the North. It takes an average of 9.61 weeks after booking a test here, more than two weeks longer than the typical waiting time in the North.
After Downpatrick, the next longest waiting lists are in Dill Road in Belfast (10.70 weeks), Lisburn (10.62 weeks), and Cookstown (10.50 weeks).
There are now long waiting times for both driving tests and MOTs, with the backlog created by the Covid lockdown.
The Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA), who had hoped to clear the predicted backlogs for driving tests by the end of 2022, acknowledged the hold-ups but are in the process of “recruiting new full-time driving examiners” to address the problem.
“We are in the process of recruiting new full-time driving examiners who on successful completion of their training will be allocated to test centres from late March 2024 onwards,” a DVA spokesperson said.
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