THE ROAD SAFETY Authority (RSA) has announced the closure of one of its driving test centres in Dublin because of new speed ramps outside the site.

A total of 16 ramps were recently installed in quick succession on the access road to the Charlestown Driving Test Centre in Dublin 11 without notice to the RSA, the authority said in a statement today.

The RSA said the unusual set-up created an “unfair” environment for learner drivers and posed health and safety concerns for testers, who would have to drive over around 200 ramps a day.

After a safety assessment, the RSA decided closing Charlestown was the only workable option.

The site was originally opened as a temporary Covid overflow site, and had a test pass rate of just over 39% in 2022.

According to the RSA, driving test wait times were currently at around 13 weeks at Charlestown.

Learner drivers booked in Charlestown won’t lose out on their booked tests, as they will now take place at the Finglas centre, just 2km away.

The route is the same, according to the RSA, who added that there will be no impact on waiting times.

Brendan Walsh, Chief Operations Officer at the RSA, said that the organisation is prioritising ”both the safety and wellbeing of our testers and the confidence of learners.”

“This decision was unavoidable, but we have acted quickly to ensure there will be minimal disruption and no impact on waiting times,” Walsh said.

“We understand how important the driving test is and want to reassure candidates that all tests will proceed as planned, with alternative arrangements in place at Finglas.”

Charlestown testers have already been redeployed to Finglas, and affected candidates are being contacted directly.