South Meath Driving School

The Road Safety Authority has announced an increase in the fee for sitting the driving test, with effect from the 7^th of April. Now the cost for a car/motorcycle test is 75eur, up from 38eur, while a lorry or bus will cost 110eur. This 100% increase for cars appears harsh, but when one considers that there has been no increase for the past 17 years, it is easier to take. On top of that, it is worth noting

that our cash starved government actually subsidised the service in ’08 by a whopping 22 million euro. So, the good times are evaporating, Nanny has stopped baby sitting us!

At present there are some 40,000 people awaiting the driving test, while the national average waiting time is under 10 weeks. In many centres, the waiting time is about 6 weeks, including Navan. This waiting time will be further reduced this summer when a new Information Technology system is introduced. Then an applicant for a driving test will be able to book on line, selecting the available time, date and location. I T is the word and the way forward. In the middle of this decade, when the tiger was in full voice, I was headed for Prague to a wedding: remember when our nieces, nephews etc were going to those exotic places for stag party-weekends and what ever else you’re having! My son suggested to me that I should go to the theatre in Prague and that he’d book a seat. In a moment he asked me which row or which seat I’d like. Asking him to explain what he was on about that I hadn’t took flight yet, he duly showed me an outline of the theatre on his laptop with seats in green that were booked and blue not booked: click on your seat, print out the ticket ( having given your credit card no. of course.) That kind of technology was startling to me but not to those who grew up with it. So, its that kind of stuff that will shortly be available to those who wish to apply for a driving test – yes quite a stretch of the imagination from ‘operating’ a loy or doing the ‘visits’ for the holy souls.

As previously stated, the standard of driving instruction in Ireland is now on a par with the best in Europe and beyond. When choosing a driving instructor theres a bigger question than ‘What do you charge?’ Rather it should be ‘Are you qualified, an ADI, tell me about your programme that would suit my needs, etc.’ There are still unqualified driving instructors out there but from the 1^st of May next it will be illegal for them to operate. Check for the ADI badge. Emptor caveat.

So, with the whole process moving at a faster pace, there must be appropriate preparation. Don’t put the cart before the horse. Its throwing good money after bad in applying for the test, getting a date that is a few weeks away and then going about getting professional lessons. For the instruction given by Daddy or the boyfriend with the intention of just topping it up with two or three from the ADI just wont cut any ice these days with the high standard required. Yes, it may work out fine in about 5% of cases, but for the rest it will prove a miscalculation, both costly and tearful.

In 2008, nearly 40,000 applicants didn’t turn up for their test at all; many more cancelled at short notice. Why? Most likely because they simply weren’t ready – then the fear of taking on Croagh Patrick when proper guidance would have left them merely facing a plain, instead.Oh, and theres some good news! There’s no increase for the Theory test, the ADI exams or the NCT.

A gang of robbers broke into a lawyer’s club by mistake. The old legal lions gave them a fight for their life and their money.
The gang was very happy to escape. “It ain’t so bad,” one crook noted. “We got €25 between us.” The boss screamed: “I warned you to stay clear of lawyers… we had €100 when we broke in!”