Learner drivers could face a one-year delay to obtaining their licence due to the backlogs caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a local driving instructor has said.

Conor McCann is the Chair of the Fermanagh Driving Instructor’s Association and spoke to The Impartial Reporter on the issue of driving tests resuming on Monday, April 30.

Driving lessons are allowed to start taking place again from tomorrow, Friday, April 22.

He said: “Anyone looking to come on board with a driving instructor now, it could be some time in June before they have a space. We all will have a number of people that will have their tests between now and then.

“Over the next six weeks – say I have 12 tests, that will free up 12 spaces, but that’s 12 of the ones that I had already on the list from way back in last September or October, because of the previous two lockdowns.”

Conor said that many pupils had some expectations because they have been waiting on their driving tests for a long time.

Conor said: “Say somebody turned 17 last July, and they were knocked back [with lockdown restrictions]; they might have only had a few lessons, but it could take them another two or three months to get ready – will we be locked down again at that stage?

“The lockdown has added a full year at least on to everybody’s timing for getting a driving test.”

Conor expressed concerns about how his business will operate as society reopens, and young people who have not yet been vaccinated return to school and socialising.

He said: “The age group we are [primarily] dealing with haven’t been vaccinated yet.

“You’re dealing with young people who are at college [and school], and Covid could be spread – they might not be showing symptoms, and then they get in the car with me.

“But then what happens if we go back and get the ping from the [Covid-tracing] app?

“I could get a ping on a Thursday to say a driving student I had on a Tuesday tested Covid-positive, and I’d need to contact all my pupils, then isolate for two weeks.

“Then after 14 days of self-isolating and two weeks of business lost, I could get another ping again for a different student.”

Councillor Chris McCaffrey has had concerns raised to him by young constituents.

He said: “The backlog of driving tests, both for theory and practical tests, is a serious issue which has caused huge disruption to people in rural areas, in particular, with some people not being able to book a test at the moment.

“Many of these people, especially young people, are in the key worker category, while others may have caring duties or are possibly seeking to regain their driving licenses after a disqualification.

“Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon now needs to input additional resourcing to tackle this backlog and to ensure that rural dwellers are not left until last, as public transport is not sufficient in our rural areas and people do rely more on lifts for work or to get about.”