Wait times at the DMV office in Reno had been 45 minutes on average. But in January they jumped to more than 80 minutes. Some customers say they’ve waited for three hours.
The reasons for the delays in service include new driver authorization cards for illegal immigrants, new applications for licenses that are good for eight years instead of four, and new medical requirements for commercial drivers.
To address increased wait times, the Nevada DMV’s David Fierro says, starting in March, the Reno office will test a telephone system that will notify people when their appointment is about to come up.
“And so the whole time they are waiting they won’t have to be at the office and the system will then communicate with them and let them know when they have to come in because their number is about to come up,” explains Fierro.
Fierro says a similar system has been used in amusement parks and the medical industry and is now being applied to DMVs nationwide.
If the system works in Reno, it will be rolled out across Nevada.
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