New Service Will Help Further Reduce Wait Times at DMV
Governor Donald L. Carcieri today announced the availability of drivers’ license renewals for AAA members at six of the association offices across Rhode Island. This alternative opportunity for some consumers to obtain their licenses is part of the ongoing revamping of the services provided by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which is being spearheaded by the Governor’s Fiscal Fitness initiative.
The Governor used the opportunity to highlight the importance of this public-private partnership, and predicted reduced waiting times at the DMV. "With this measure, we are taking another major step forward in making the Division of Motor Vehicles more efficient. Nearly half of our state’s motorists belong to AAA. By enabling them to conduct this high volume transaction here, we are easing the burden on our registry. That means we will see a substantial reduction in the number of people renewing their license at the DMV, which will pave the way for this important agency to better meet the needs of drivers across Rhode Island."
The Fiscal Fitness team has already made a number of improvements at several DMV offices, including new, clear signage; new, modern equipment (such as copiers and eye test machines); and greeters to answer questions and explain required paperwork. The creation of a new, user-friendly web site (www.dmv.ri.gov) that provides downloadable forms and the ability to renew vehicle registration on-line is also a key advance in customer service provided through the Fiscal Fitness review process. A number of additional improvements are planned in the weeks and months to come.
At a November press conference, Governor Carcieri announced that initial customer service improvements had already significantly reduced the average waiting time to obtain a driver's license at the main registry office in Pawtucket. The average waiting time in March of this year was one hour and twenty-one minutes. By October, the average waiting time was down to 23 minutes.