Christie says the MVC will eliminate the fees for online transactions by October 1, encouraging motorists to use computers instead of going to MVC offices. The commission will also work with AAA to handle registrations at its offices, he said.
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Christie said many MVC employees have completed customer service training, as he mandated in April for all employees within a year..
The state’s regulations on gun-carry permits is one of the most restrictive in the country, requiring applicants to apply for permission from their local police chief and a Superior Court judge by demonstrating “urgent necessity for self-protection, as evidenced by specific threats, or previous attacks”.
“After over a decade of smooth sailing for New Jersey drivers, problems at the MVC returned under Governor Christie – when he laid off workers and slashed the budget for the agency”, Rosenstein said in an email.
He also announced that beginning in 2017, two mobile units will be deployed in the event of any “unforeseen agency outages.” . According to Christie, that change will eliminate some of the bottleneck caused by individuals waiting until the end of the month to renew due to the new variability of expiration dates throughout the month.
There will be an “express” lane for driver’s license processing, which allows customers to bypass the ID check stations and get in line at the Enhanced Digital Driver License counters.
Critics, including Christie, say this regulation makes it nearly impossible for most people to obtain carry permits.
“You never want to go to MVC”, Christie said. Nobody looks at it as something that they build their week or month around.
Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, D-Bergen, one of the sponsors of the personalized handgun bill, blasted Christie’s statement for being “alarmingly replete with right-wing political talking points and grandstanding”.
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Christie said MVC improvements will be an ongoing process, which will evolve as technology and experiences grow. He’s hoping these MVC changes could jumpstart progress with that issue. “And if that’s in the cards, we’d like it to be sooner rather than later”.
