Transport 2008, which is a CSO thematic publication, bringing together a wide range of transport statistics mostly relating to data compiled from 2008, was published this Tuesday, which showed that more males in Mayo in comparison to females possess full driving licenses and are also the gender which obtained the most penalty points in the county in 2008 in speeding, driving without a safety belt and driving while holding a mobile phone.
Out of 79,367 licences in Mayo in 2008, 8,350 of these were learner permits with the remaining 71,017 being full licences. The majority of full licences were held by males (39,963 ), while 31,054 females held full licences. More females held learner licences in 2008 — 4,440 compared to 3,910 males.
The main age category in the county which held full licences last year was in the 30 to 39 age bracket (15,057 ), while the 80 and over age group held the lowest number of full licences (1,115 ).
The majority of learner permits held in the county in 2008 were among the 17 to 20 age group (2,427 ), followed by 1,918 in the 21 to 24 age group; 1,377 in the 25 to 29 age bracket; 1,233 in the 30 to 39 age group and 621 learner licences held by 40 to 49 year olds.
In 2008, 1,620 males and 1,760 females passed their test in the Castlebar test centre; 1,003 males and 1,258 females failed at the same test centre. The average waiting time for taking a test in 2008 dropped significantly to a nine week wait in 2008 from 21 weeks in 2007.
Penalty points
The majority of penalty points issued in the county last year were for males (3,720 ) with the main penalty point offence being speeding (2,745 ). A total of 1,202 points were issued in 2008 for females, again the main offence being speeding (925 ). Males were also given points for driving while holding a mobile, with 299 receiving penalty points in 2008, while 109 females received points for the same offence. Sixty nine females were issued with penalty points for not wearing a safety belt while driving, while 338 men committed this offence.
Types of vehicles
Some 75,000 vehicles were licensed in Mayo in 2008; 54,300 of these were private vehicles, 13,075 were goods vehicles, and there were 4,636 tractors.
New vehicles licensed in 2008 were 4,214 and the average distance travelled in private cars in Mayo was 18,549 kilometres.
The number of licensed road hauliers and licensed bus operators increased in 2008 from the previous year with 171 road hauliers and 102 licensed bus operators listed. In 2008 there was a total of 448 public service vehicles — 218 hackney, 28 limousines, 184 taxis, and 18 wheelchair taxis.
NCT passes
At the end of 2008, 14,660 cars were tested at the NCT test centre in Westport where there were 13,764 total passes; 7,806 passed on their first test. 6,854 vehicles failed on their first test inspection.
Ireland West Airport Knock
The document also focused on aviation travel. Ireland West Airport Knock handled 629,712 passengers in 2008, with the main international arrival destination to IWAK in 2008 coming from London Stansted (70,655 ).
