Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has again raised the need for an office of the National Driving Licence Service (NDLS) to be located in the Inishowen peninsula with the Minister for Transport, Shane Ross.
Responding on behalf of the Minister, the Road Safety Authority have repeated their unwillingness to do so.
Senator Mac Lochlainn has now written to the CEO of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), Moyagh Murdock outlining his concerns and proposing that the RSA examine the possibility of availing of space at the either of the Donegal County Council offices in Carndonagh or Buncrana so that many Inishowen motorists do not have to travel as far as 80km to the NDLS office in Letterkenny.
Senator Mac Lochlainn said he is mindful that the RSA are responsible for the National Car Testing Service (NCT) system as well as the National Driving Licence Service.
There are four NCT centres across Donegal in Carndonagh, Letterkenny, Derrybeg and Donegal Town reflecting the geography of the county, yet the RSA only have provided two NDLS offices, one in Donegal Town and one in Letterkenny.
The Donegal Senator said “This means that all motorists living in North Inishowen are more than the recommended 50km distance from the nearest NDLS office in Letterkenny. Some Inishowen motorists live 80km away from the Letterkenny office. The failure of the Minister for Transport to provide the necessary resources to the Road Safety Authority has resulted in this failure to ensure fairness to all motorists”.
“I am very disappointed at the latest response from the Minister and the RSA to my representations, supported by my colleagues, Cllrs Albert Doherty and Jack Murray. I have now written back to the RSA CEO, Moyagh Murdock requesting that they examine the possibility of availing of space at the either of the Donegal County Council offices in Carndonagh or Buncrana for a NDLS office”.
