NDLS - National Driver Licence Service centres (Qs, waiting times, etc)

Truckermal · 11-04-2014 10:24pm

galwaytt wrote: »

As you're renewing one you already have a licence. You don't 'not have a licence' whilst you're waiting for the plastic card.

Your licence is actually the file in the NDLS, not the card. The card is merely a portable record of it.

Buy the car.

I know that but a Garda friend of mine told me that I know it sounds ridiculous but you can be done but ya buy the car OP.

visual · 16-04-2014 5:40am

cisk wrote: »

Just for credit where its due, i went to the Leopardstown NDLS center last Wednesday at 1:30pm.

Walked in the door only a handful of people there, two desks setup to great you, one for walk ins, one for appointments. Guy at the appointments desk asked me did i have an appointment to which i said no, he then helped me out anyway and brought me straight over to one of the windows where a polite, friendly girl processed my motorcycle learner permit for me. No hassle.

She did say i picked the right day as it had been busy all week but i have to say the experience was way better than any trip to the old motor tax office.

But you didn't walk out with licence in your hand, if it was still being processed in motor tax office. Instead you will have to wait weeks for it to be magically printed and posted out.

[Deleted User] · 16-04-2014 10:39am

Received my LP in the post on Monday. A grand total of 7 working days, no complaints from me whatsoever.

It took minimum time and effort on my part, the opposite of any experiences in the motor tax office.

shinikins · 16-04-2014 11:27am

visual wrote: »

But you didn't walk out with licence in your hand, if it was still being processed in motor tax office. Instead you will have to wait weeks for it to be magically printed and posted out.

I've never walked out of motor tax office with a new licence in my hand, and I don't know of anyone of my friends or family that has either, my last licence renewal took several weeks for the Tax Office to process and send to me.

jimgoose · 16-04-2014 11:36am

shinikins wrote: »

I've never walked out of motor tax office with a new licence in my hand, and I don't know of anyone of my friends or family that has either, my last licence renewal took several weeks for the Tax Office to process and send to me.

That seemed to vary very much with the particular office. In Cork for example you'd usually get your permit/license over-the-counter within about fifteen minutes. As for the NDLS, I never used the original walk-in-on-spec system, but the appointment system seems to work fine - in and out in about half-an-hour - and the document arrived in two weeks, which seems to be a marked improvement.

donkey balls · 16-04-2014 6:02pm

A few year's ago while taking up a new job I needed to travel to the UK and have use of a car, I checked to see were my licence was but could not find it so I filled out the lost licence form dropped in to Chancery house Dublin explained my situation and got a duplicate licence there and then.
Imo the RSA have made a balls of the new licence issuing along with increased fees, There was no need to out source the licence issue to a private company.

ABajaninCork · 16-04-2014 6:04pm

jimgoose wrote: »

That seemed to vary very much with the particular office. In Cork for example you'd usually get your permit/license over-the-counter within about fifteen minutes. As for the NDLS, I never used the original walk-in-on-spec system, but the appointment system seems to work fine - in and out in about half-an-hour - and the document arrived in two weeks, which seems to be a marked improvement.

Now in Cork, the wait times seems to have got worse. There was an article in the Echo about the wait. My husband waited nine weeks for his licence. And that was BEFORE this stupid bloody system was brought in.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 16-04-2014 6:33pm

any sign of that online application tracking system ?

deegs · 16-04-2014 10:36pm

Booked for cork online. Got seen within 10 mins of turning up. Received licence in post 3weeks to the day from going in. Not bad in fairness.

CiniO · 16-04-2014 11:22pm

donkey balls wrote: »

A few year's ago while taking up a new job I needed to travel to the UK and have use of a car, I checked to see were my licence was but could not find it so I filled out the lost licence form dropped in to Chancery house Dublin explained my situation and got a duplicate licence there and then.
Imo the RSA have made a balls of the new licence issuing along with increased fees, There was no need to out source the licence issue to a private company.

I'm happy with new system.
At least it's fair.
In old system some people could get licence on the spot, while other couldn't.
This purely depended on fact what motor tax office you belonged to, and if motor tax office staff liked you or not. This could even lead to bribery.

Definitely new system is much better - at least it fair.

magnavox · 17-04-2014 1:15am

Is there any benefit to going to different centres?

Like are the licenses made at the centre you apply or sent to one location for processing?

Sorry if its been answered already.

visual · 17-04-2014 4:26am

CiniO wrote: »

I'm happy with new system.
At least it's fair.
In old system some people could get licence on the spot, while other couldn't.
This purely depended on fact what motor tax office you belonged to, and if motor tax office staff liked you or not. This could even lead to bribery.

Definitely new system is much better - at least it fair.

Its a mess there is no reason why you should not walk out with licence in your hand after making an appointment and providing all the information.

You could get your name chiselled on a grave stone quicker

pcardin · 17-04-2014 11:12am

visual wrote: »

Its a mess there is no reason why you should not walk out with licence in your hand after making an appointment and providing all the information.

You could get your name chiselled on a grave stone quicker

Agree. It's a mess which does not hold any critics. In most EU countries I think licence is done there an then. Walk in, pay fee, you get photographed, licence is printed and you walk out with licence in your hand/pocket. Takes anywhere from 10-30min.

I was thinking to apply for new one myself next week and would need licence in my hands by end of June. Not so sure, should I risk applying or better not.

CiniO · 17-04-2014 11:47am

visual wrote: »

Its a mess there is no reason why you should not walk out with licence in your hand after making an appointment and providing all the information.

You could get your name chiselled on a grave stone quicker

Agree.
I just pointed that current NDLS system is better then previous one.

CiniO · 17-04-2014 11:48am

pcardin wrote: »

Agree. It's a mess which does not hold any critics. In most EU countries I think licence is done there an then. Walk in, pay fee, you get photographed, licence is printed and you walk out with licence in your hand/pocket. Takes anywhere from 10-30min.

I don't think many EU countries issue licences on the spot.

ABajaninCork · 17-04-2014 11:53am

They don't in the UK. You can either send the paperwork to Swansea in the post. Or you can apply online if you have electronic details of your passport. Either way, you get it back in a week.

pcardin · 17-04-2014 12:29pm

CiniO wrote: »

I don't think many EU countries issue licences on the spot.

Ok, altought I've been in any country in Europe I haven't actually been involved in any licence getting activities there. :pac: But in my wife's country Latvia they issue on the spot. People walk in pay fee, get their number and walk from one desk to other till the last desk issue them licence. The same centre does the same for car registrations, road tax etc. Once I was in Lithuania and saw the same thing there. I would say it's the same in Estonia too. Russia is the same. Any explanation why it couldn't be the same here?

km79 · 17-04-2014 12:37pm

Just out of the one in Galway city
Hard to find giving the lack of a single sign post BUT there was nobody else there so was in and out in fifteens minutes

Old diesel · 17-04-2014 1:56pm

km79 wrote: »

Just out of the one in Galway city
Hard to find giving the lack of a single sign post BUT there was nobody else there so was in and out in fifteens minutes

Its a bit mad alright the lack of signage - the one in Tralee - youd never guess where it is - you've to walk through a restaurant in the shopping centre to get to it - and youd never think there was more offices/other stuff going on at the other side.

NIMAN · 17-04-2014 2:39pm

OH made a 2hr round trip to our local centre a few weeks back, everything done in the office, thought it was only a matter of waiting for the new licence to arrive.

Then couple of weeks later gets an email from HQ telling her she didn't provide all the necessary documentation! Why was she allowed to leave the local office if she hadn't satisfied the requirements?

CiniO · 17-04-2014 3:37pm

NIMAN wrote: »

OH made a 2hr round trip to our local centre a few weeks back, everything done in the office, thought it was only a matter of waiting for the new licence to arrive.

Then couple of weeks later gets an email from HQ telling her she didn't provide all the necessary documentation! Why was she allowed to leave the local office if she hadn't satisfied the requirements?

That's odd allright.
I applied for driving permit for A and CE category at the end of last year.
I passed motorbikes theory test before that. I already have C driving licence, so didn't have to do any tests for CE. But my medical cert which I done in 2008 when I exchanged my B and D category from foreign licence, was issued only for C and D category, so they weren't sure if they could accept it a valid for CE. (nowadays medical cert covers all C,D, CE, DE, etc categories), but in 2008, it was old kind of form, and doctor signed only C and D.
As this wasn't usual case for them, there was 3 employees thinking in front of me about my case. They made some phone calls. Eventually they let me go, but told they would contact me in case there is something wrong. And indeed they did contact me, that I had to get new doctors cert, as that's what RSA said. I got that and brought it back.
Maybe it wasn't fully professional, but at least they did take care of me, and did everything so my driving permit gets issued correctly and smoothly.
So I was very happy with that kind of service.

ProudDUB · 17-04-2014 11:37pm

Old diesel wrote: »

Its a bit mad alright the lack of signage - the one in Tralee - youd never guess where it is - you've to walk through a restaurant in the shopping centre to get to it - and youd never think there was more offices/other stuff going on at the other side.

It's mad isn't it? I was in both the City West and Santry ones last week. They are both in a shopping centres too. In both cases, there was zero signage telling you where to go, or where the NDLS centre was. In both cases, I had to go into a shop and ask where it was.

God forbid they put a big sign up at...oh I don't know...HOW ABOUT THE FRONT FCUKING DOOR telling people where it is !!!!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Phew. I feel better now.

D Trent · 18-04-2014 12:06am

ProudDUB wrote: »

It's mad isn't it? I was in both the City West and Santry ones last week. They are both in a shopping centres too. In both cases, there was zero signage telling you where to go, or where the NDLS centre was. In both cases, I had to go into a shop and ask where it was.

God forbid they put a big sign up at...oh I don't know...HOW ABOUT THE FRONT FCUKING DOOR telling people where it is !!!!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Phew. I feel better now.

The centre for Limerick is in a shopping centre aswell.
I don't know I'd almost prefer if the Galway centre was in say the Galway shopping centre , where it is now it's not even on a bus route.
What do you people using Galway centre think ?

km79 · 18-04-2014 9:32am

D Trent wrote: »

The centre for Limerick is in a shopping centre aswell.
I don't know I'd almost prefer if the Galway centre was in say the Galway shopping centre , where it is now it's not even on a bus route.
What do you people using Galway centre think ?

Agree

Caliden · 18-04-2014 10:18am

D Trent wrote: »

The centre for Limerick is in a shopping centre aswell.
I don't know I'd almost prefer if the Galway centre was in say the Galway shopping centre , where it is now it's not even on a bus route.
What do you people using Galway centre think ?

The Galway NDLS is in the Ballybrit estate right?
You can get the 405 from Eyre Square that stops at the entrance to the estate I'm pretty sure.

Old diesel · 18-04-2014 12:04pm

ProudDUB wrote: »

It's mad isn't it? I was in both the City West and Santry ones last week. They are both in a shopping centres too. In both cases, there was zero signage telling you where to go, or where the NDLS centre was. In both cases, I had to go into a shop and ask where it was.

God forbid they put a big sign up at...oh I don't know...HOW ABOUT THE FRONT FCUKING DOOR telling people where it is !!!!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Phew. I feel better now.

I was able to find it - but ONLY because the address - meant that it was potentially over a big area (Manor West in Tralee for anyone who knows the area) - to give you an idea - theres a Nissan dealer, the chain Next, Harvey Normans and Tescos - all in different buildings.

So rang up Manor west shopping centre before traveling

jimgoose · 23-04-2014 10:37am

Tell me this - who exactly are the NDLS? Are they part of the RSA, or are they some sub-contractor (like the NCT crowd) managed by the RSA?

Old diesel · 23-04-2014 1:23pm

D Trent wrote: »

The centre for Limerick is in a shopping centre aswell.
I don't know I'd almost prefer if the Galway centre was in say the Galway shopping centre , where it is now it's not even on a bus route.
What do you people using Galway centre think ?

Having it in a shopping centre is a fine idea - theres normally parking available - often somewhere to eat etc - and toilets etc.

Its the signage or lack of that's annoying - if they insist on having the centre in some location youd never think of finding it.

The Tralee one is mad in that you actually have to walk through the tables and chairs area of a restaurant to get to it.

kkelly77 · 24-04-2014 9:24am

Do you have to make an appointment to get your licence application processed or can you just walk in with the relevant documentation and just hope there isn't a long queue?

jimgoose · 24-04-2014 9:59am

jimgoose wrote: »

Tell me this - who exactly are the NDLS? Are they part of the RSA, or are they some sub-contractor (like the NCT crowd) managed by the RSA?

Mmm. Seemingly the front-of-office/paper-shunting stuff is subbied to SGS Ireland Ltd. As I thought - some gormless Wally Breslin type had a lease on that building in Copley Street, Cork and needed but the right palm to grease to get a juicy gig in there! :pac:

kkelly77 wrote: »

Do you have to make an appointment to get your licence application processed or can you just walk in with the relevant documentation and just hope there isn't a long queue?

The place in Cork is open to walk-ins before lunch, but in practice I wouldn't bother. Making an appointment is easy and there's no charge.

NDLS - National Driver Licence Service centres (Qs, waiting times, etc)

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