From Friday, April 7, all city driving tests will begin from the car park of the Clybaun Hotel in Knocknacarra.
This is understood to be a temporary move by the Road Safety Authority (RSA ) while construction of a controversial, seven-story student accommodation block in the car park of Westside shopping centre has disrupted traffic flows in the area.
“I’m not sure how much of an improvement this move will be, as the traffic, especially school run, is very heavy around Clybaun, especially from 8am to 9am in that area,” says Ronan Staunton of Drive n Go, an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI ) based in Claregalway. “I hope this is temporary, and it’s a pity the RSA couldn’t move across the road to the empty Arch Motors site on the Seamus Quirke Road.”
In response to a parliamentary question to Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien tabled by Galway West TD John Connolly (FF ) last week, the RSA said it was in conversation with the OPW to find a new, permanent location on the west side of Galway city to serve the western half of County Galway.
Last summer, the RSA identified a suitable premises in the IDA Business Park in Dangan to serve as a permanent test centre for western Galway. “Unfortunately, on contacting the operators of the park, we were advised that the RSA does not come under the list of businesses permitted to operate in this business park, and so we were unable to pursue securing the premises for use as a Driving Test Centre,” said the RSA in response to Deputy Connolly’s enquiries.
“I believe it is absolutely crucial that the RSA continues to provide a presence in the west of the City,” said Connolly. “It would be inefficient to do otherwise with the traffic situation. People attending to undertake their driving test are sufficiently stressed without the need to navigate excessive traffic and journey times en route to [a temporary] test centre.”
The average national wait time for driving test in 2024 was 18 weeks, but in Galway city, average wait times were 20 weeks at the Westside and Carnmore test centres. Tuam has one of the country’s lowest wait times at just 14 weeks.
Over 13,000 driving tests were taken in Co Galway’s driving test centres last year, up from 11,500 in 2023. From March to June is the centres’ busiest period.
The pass rate for driving tests across County Galway was 59 per cent last year, down from a 62 per cent pass rate in 2023.
Last year, in an attempt to reduce testing back logs, former transport minister Eamon Ryan approved the recruitment of 70 extra driving testers to begin work in March 2025. This will bring the national total to 200 testers.
Meanwhile, the RSA wants to remind land owners in Galway to cut back hedgerows before the end of February, in accordance with the 1976 Wildlife Act. “Overgrown hedgerows can pose a road safety hazard. We all have a role to play in making roads safer, and landowners must take responsibility. Inaction could endanger lives," the agency warned.
