Mondello Park is ‘not an option’ as driving test venue

The Mondello Park racing circuit has been ruled out as a possible location to conduct driving tests.

The idea was put forward by Naas Mayor Seamie Moore who complained about the number of driving tests being conducted in some residential areas in the town. Cllr Moore said some estates have been “unfairly selected for 16 hour daily/365 days per usage.”

KCC official Mairéad Hunt confirmed at a Naas Municipal District meeting that roads and junctions in a number of housing estates in Naas are used as a test routes for driver testers — officials who test a driver after lessons have been taken from an approved instructor. Most tests occur between 8am and 4pm, reported Ms Hunt, and activity outside these hours may be undertaken by motoring schools.

Because there are a high number of driving schools in the Naas area, this may account for the volume and frequency of “learner drivers using certain estates within the town.”

There may be also an increase in lessons due to the backlog as a result of previous Covid-19 restrictions. The Road Safety Authority has written to driving instructors outlining concerns.

The RSA uses set routes in Naas and estates are chosen due to their suitability in catering for different elements of the test such as hill starts, roundabout driving and junction use. Many driving instructors commonly use the same routes as testers do.