Burgaw, North Carolina.The Burgaw Division of Motor Vehicles site in Pender County has the second-longest wait times in North Carolina, according to a recent state audit. Some clients had to wait more than five hours to complete simple procedures. WECT claims that the results have rekindled calls for significant changes to the organization.
Nicole Arzu, a local, talked about her personal experience waiting more than five hours to take her driver’s license test at the Burgaw office. According to Arzu, people are only here to fulfill state requirements, such as obtaining a license or presenting real identification. People shouldn’t have to wait a long time to do it.
Years of Spending, Little Progress
According to the audit, the Department of Information Technology and the North Carolina DMV have invested over $42 million in more than 40 enhancement initiatives since 2014 with the goal of cutting wait times and updating services. The North Carolina Office of State Auditor determined that the DMV’s systems are still antiquated and urgently require repair in spite of the expenditure.
Dave Boliek, the state auditor, underlined the necessity of a structural change. According to Boliek, we will keep getting the same outcomes if we keep doing things the same way.
Recommendations for Change
Five suggestions were made by the audit to enhance productivity and customer satisfaction:
- Consider establishing the DMV as an autonomous agency with direct control over its budget, planning, and operations.
-
Develop a comprehensive strategic plan independent of the
Department of Transportation
. - Conduct a detailed staffing analysis to guide a multi-year hiring plan.
- Build and maintain a centralized performance dashboard for tracking service metrics.
- Partner with industry experts to implement evidence-based customer service improvements.
Additionally, Governor Josh Stein has pledged more funds to increase staffing levels at DMV locations throughout the state.
A Priority for State Leaders
Boliek called this audit the first attempt to identify answers and promised to make DMV reform a high priority. He remarked, “I’m like a dog with a bone on this.” We will continue to work on it.
Residents of Burgaw are hoping that things will improve soon and that waiting five hours will no longer be an issue.
Do you believe that DMV offices ought to function separately from DOT? Leave a comment at SaladaStandard-Sentinel.com with your thoughts.
