Governor Aims to Reduce Time Spent at DMV Branches with Legislation

The Troubleshooters are staying on top of the efforts to reform the DMV.

Governor Malloy has laid out his plan to improve customer service and decrease wait times. Through proposed legislation, the governor wants to reduce the hours-long waits we saw after the new $26 million software modernization went online in August.

“I've heard from the people of Connecticut. They want shorter lines."

For starters he wants more than just DMV branches issuing vehicle registrations. He wants to involve private businesses like AAA, which already can process drivers' licenses. Ilya Tunitsky of Bloomfield says “that sounds like a great idea. It makes more sense."

One DMV employee who would not go on camera for fear of losing his job, tells the Troubleshooters sarcastically, ”Instead of hiring more workers to get better customer to worker ratios, let's outsource the jobs.”

To further lessen DMV lines, Malloy proposes getting rid of the state's ban on registering vehicles with delinquent property taxes and parking tickets. Zina Planeta of Marlborough disagrees, saying, “I don't think that's a good idea. People have to pay their taxes." The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities adds “CCM finds the proposal to be very problematic. It would diminish both property tax revenues and ticket revenues for towns; revenues that the town's depend on to pay for essential services.”

Malloy counters, “We're not a collection agency. I think this idea that we should be everyone's collection agency has gotten, is one of the things that contributes to the difficulties in Connecticut."

Consider this: the DMV says two-thirds of the compliance issues that bring people into DMV branches are delinquent property taxes or small dollar parking tickets.

The governor's bill also includes postponing the plan to issue boat and other vessel titles for more than two years...to free up backroom staff to deal with lines.

Of course, all this needs legislative approval. The governor also got a boost from Republican House Minority Leader Themis Klarides. She applauds Malloy's plan to "outsource services," adding "clearly, the DMV is not operating efficiently right now."

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