Lengthy delays for auto tag renewals leave Broward drivers vulnerable

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Lengthy delays for auto tag renewals leave Broward drivers vulnerable By BRITTANY WALLMAN Sun-Sentinel Web-posted: 12:15 a.m. Jan. 4, 2000 A new computer system installed statewide in 1999 was intended to bring license-plate renewal to a new level of sophistication. Instead, it has thousands of drivers in Broward County in danger of getting fined for out-of-date tags because renewal checks mailed in the past month still haven't been opened.

The problem stems from the $30 million computer system, which turned out to be so time-consuming to use that Broward County employees are working overtime to reduce the backlog.

The mail-in delays, as well as long lines at renewal offices, are expected to last until September, when the system will have been in place a year, county finance director Phil Allen said.

"Our customers are spending an inordinate amount of time waiting for service," said Allen. "It takes twice as long to enter the data. We are incurring overtime. Our agencies are staying open longer.  There have been delays throughout. We've had periods where the whole system has gone out."

-- Arachnid (arachnid@spider..web), January 04, 2000

Answers

Welcome to the forum.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), January 04, 2000.

Add this to the news of the New Mexico DMV being down. Any others? We definetiely need someone to list and track failures,

-- SH (Squirrel@huntr.com), January 04, 2000.

I am one of those Broward drivers who is driving with an expired tag.

-- Dave (dannco@hotmail.com), January 04, 2000.

Dave - I normally would be too, but when mine were due last month, I kept putting off the emissions test, until it was to late for a mail in renewal. I sucked it up, and paid a tag agency to do it for me and got them in time.

-- Arachnid (arachnid@spider..web), January 04, 2000.