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The number of learner drivers on the roads in the North West currently stands at over sixteen and a half thousand.

That's according to figures provided to the Irish Road Haulage Association through a Freedom of Information request to the RSA.

The figure in Sligo stands at 4,574.  In Leitrim it’s reported at 2,281 while in Donegal there are 9,872 learner drivers waiting for a test.

The numbers waiting has increased in all three counties over the last six months. The biggest increase was in Sligo which stands at 113, in Donegal there was rise of 77 and in Leitrim figures jumped by 47.

Almost 400 thousand drivers had yet to pass their test in September - with the highest number of learner permit holders in Dublin, followed by Cork, Kildare and Galway.

President of the association, Ger Hyland, says these figures show that the RSA is not fit for purpose