Ocean County Director of Commissioners Joe Vicari sent the following letter to New Jersey MVC Chief Administrator Latrecia Littles-Floyd:
Dear Acting Chair Littles-Floyd,
On behalf of our constituents in Ocean County, we respectfully request that the state Motor Vehicle Commission provide more convenient hours and in-person services for our citizens at the three state NJMVC offices located in Ocean County.
While we understand the concerns that were raised during the height of COVID 19 to limit hours and require online appointments in order to assure social distancing and reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners believes the services rendered at the NJMVC offices are vital for our citizens and businesses. It’s now time to return to regular office hours where residents can walk-in to access the NJMVC services.
Ocean County is unique as it is home to the largest senior population in the state of New Jersey. More than 200,000 seniors call Ocean County home. They are turning to the Board of Commissioners to strongly request the state MVC provide more accessible hours, including occasional evenings, at its agency offices as this is what they find most convenient when needing assistance for registration, license renewals and the host of other services you provide.
While many of our seniors are technologically savvy, others readily admit they are not and the focus of doing things online are hindering them from completing tasks they were once able to take care of in your offices. They are also uncomfortable providing personal information online. More than just our seniors, many working people that live in Ocean County do not have access to computers or the Internet and need assistance in accessing these essential services on line.
We would encourage you to offer more availability of your mobile unit throughout Ocean County. As the second largest county in the state, providing this mobile service more frequently would alleviate some of the current concerns of our residents.
We understand that the wave of the future will be to steer everyone toward your agency’s website. However, by pushing aside the thousands of people who do not have access to your website or may have difficulty using it, our residents are not being provided the public service they expect from you. There is clearly a need for more in-person assistance at your agency offices. The Ocean County Board of Commissioners urges you to provide that service now.