COVID pandemic sparked DMV changes

WETHERSFIELD — Standing outside the Department of Motor Vehicles on Tuesday afternoon, Deputy DMV Commissioner Tony Guerrera spread his arms, indicating the empty sidewalk outside the department office.

“Take a quick second and take a look at this. The day after Memorial Day, three years ago when the commissioner and I were in that office staring at a line of people down to the parking lot. That has not happened today,” Guerrera said.

“We have a governor that gave us the resources and the tools to make sure the quality of life for every Connecticut resident or people that want to come into our state as easy as possible.”

Guerrera, along with Gov. Ned Lamont, DMV Commissioner Sibongile “Bongi” Magubane and Transportation Committee Chair Sen. Will Haskell discussed ways in which the DMV has and plans to streamline the department’s services.

When businesses and state agencies were forced to close in-person services during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DMV, like other departments, improvised, Guerrera said.

“The governor put all the forces out there to make sure we did what we had to do. The DMV didn’t shut its doors, we made sure we made our employees safe, our customers safe,” Guerrera said.

“We had to get people out of line but make sure that we get them an appointment system, and that’s what we did. That appointment system is going to stay with us today, tomorrow and for the future of the DMV.”

The online appointment system allowed nearly 750,000 Connecticut residents since January 2021 to conduct transactions with the DMV online, Commissioner Magubane said.

Additionally, 131 people completed transactions online between January and June of 2021.

Alongside the online appointment system, the DMV is conducting a total restructuring of its website, Magubane said.

“When citizens of Connecticut came to the DMV it was really luck of the draw if they were able to get through with their transactions because they were not always clear on what they needed to bring in order to be successful,” Magubane said.

“We are looking at overhauling our website because the website is key to ensuring that everyone understands what to expend when they arrive at the DMV, how long it’s going to take and also what they need to complete their transaction.”

The appointment system will also receive an upgrade, Magubane said. Previously, a separate appointment was made for each transaction a citizen was looking to complete at the DMV, a system that will be modified to allow multiple transactions at a time.

“In the past, most of our transactions were done in person and then we introduced an appointment systems, but it’s not integrated,” Magubane said.

“In the future, when you want to establish an appointment at the DMV, you will be able to look at multiple transactions. You will know exactly how long it’s going to take.

“In today’s world you can only do one transaction and if you have another appointment, you come back. In the future you’ll be able to stack up your transactions, come in one and done, and we will know what you’re coming to do.”

When Haskell took office, many of the first emails he received from constituents had to do with the DMV and the inability to schedule an appointment or confusing requirements.

With the improvements to the department’s website, appointment platform and the ability to conduct some tasks, such as license renewal, online, Haskell said he no longer receives emails about the DMV.

“The processes were too cumbersome, and they required taking time out of their day. They required single, working parents, in between showing up to their job, getting kids to school and cooking dinner, it required them to also find an hour or two or three to go to their local DMV branch to try and complete those transactions,” Haskell said.

“In the pandemic. if there’s a silver lining. it’s accelerated the progress this agency was making.”

The technological improvements made at the DMV will be mirrored at the Department of Labor come July 5, when unemployment compensation claims will be moved to an online system as well, Lamont said.

“It was very manual, very labor intensive, very people intensive. We weren’t able to keep up with the load of unemployment claims the likes of which we hadn’t seen since the Great Depression,” Lamont said.

“Now we will be much better able to do that. Much of that is done electronically.”

Abigail Brone / Hearst Connecticut Media Gov. Ned Lamont, alongside state Sen. Will Haskell, DMV Commissioner Bongi Magubane and DMV Deputy Commissioner Tony Guerrera on Tuesday touted the department’s improvements in service during the pandemic.