DMV testing its new services

Tuesday, March 28, 2000 | 11:11 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- If the state Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety learned one thing from its Genesis debacle, it's that more time for testing is needed before any new computerized program is opened for the public.

Genesis, a program for registering and renewing registration of motor vehicles, was unveiled last September. The result was a number of problems, including long customer waits and mistakes, prompting an uproar from the public and state legislators.

Ginny Lewis, deputy director of the department, said Monday the DMV hopes to roll out its new Internet and telephone service to renew car registration and driver's licenses in the last week of April or the first part of May.

"We need to test it thoroughly," Lewis said. "We will have three weeks of solid testing."

The Internet and telephone renewals are part of the add-on to the new technology to cut down on the number of people forced to go to DMV offices.

Lewis said so far "the tests are positive."

A similar program in effect in Arizona for three years is used by 11 percent of motorists, Lewis said. In other states, about 2 percent of the public use similar programs in the first year.

Lewis promised a public relations campaign to make people aware of the service.

"We want to get as many customers out of the office as possible," she said.

Ideally, Lewis said, only those seeking first-time vehicle registrations or first-time driver's licenses or those with problems would be showing up in person.

Lewis said that in Reno, DMV lines are down to 30 minutes, but in Las Vegas the new staff is still in training and won't be at the counters until next week. She said there is a "mixed bag" on the waiting times at the various offices in Southern Nevada.

"We won't see the benefit until the end of April," she said.

The department said in February that its goal is that nobody will wait longer than an hour for service. At the time, the Legislative Interim Finance Committee authorized more than $200,000 extra for the department to hire more help.

Meanwhile, a pilot program that allows emission testing stations in Las Vegas and Reno to process vehicle registration renewals is moving forward. So far, 17 stations have applied to be considered for the pilot program. The deadline for applications is at the end of this week.

Jim Parsons of the department said that next week one station will be chosen each in Las Vegas and Reno to start the program. He said that if all goes well, three additional stations will be added in Las Vegas and one in Reno during the following 30 days.

Parsons said about 475 stations would be eligible to be certified for the program. He said there will "need to be tight control over these stations."