Call for discretion on unaccompanied drivers

Edwin McGreal

A Mayo county councillor has urged gardaí to use discretion when enforcing laws for provisional driving licence holders.
The law states a provisional licence holder must have a person with them in the car who holds a full driving licence in order to be able to drive on the public roads. There has been publicity campaigns highlighting this law in recent times.
However, speaking at last Friday’s Mayo Joint Policing Committee meeting, Erris-based Cllr Gerry Coyle has called on gardaí to exercise discretion on this law in rural areas.
“I know of a woman who cannot bring her kids to the end of the road to meet the school bus yet the same woman could come home with a car full of drunks from the pub and be covered to drive as long as one of the drunks had a full licence. Something isn’t adding up,” said Cllr Coyle.
“It is a scandal that woman is petrified to bring her kids to get the bus to school because she only has a provisional licence. I’d ask gardaí to take a different view on this law in remote areas,” he added.