Long Line Forms Before 5 A.M. At Manahawkin MVC
MANAHAWKIN, NJ — Mark Langel knew to expect long lines at the Motor Vehicle Commission. But his trip to the Manahawkin MVC early Monday morning still felt ridiculous.
Langel, of Forked River, arrived at 4:48 a.m. Monday to title a motorcycle and renew registration on his truck. The MVC opens at 8, but Langel stood 21st in line. He finally got everything done by 8:45 a.m.
"There had to be over 120 people behind me, maybe more," Langel told Patch.
Governor Phil Murphy ordered their closure in March during the coronavirus lockdown. Long lines, large backlogs and even an industry of people who wait in line have been the stories since MVCs reopened July 7.
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Manahawkin has been no exception, with lines down the parking lot on reopening day. Read more: Manahawkin MVC Sees Long Lines On Reopening Day
But after four months closed and four months since reopening, the MVC continues to experience high volumes.
An MVC spokesperson told Patch they have developed some ways to prevent customers from waiting on lines.
"We ticket customers upon opening, ask them to provide a cell number, and then customers can leave the MVC location," said spokesperson William Connolly. "About 20-30 minutes prior to when they will be served, customers will begin receiving a series of texts directing them to return to the MVC Center for service. Customers do not need to wait at the MVC all day or camp out overnight to be served."
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Customers don't need to arrive before opening to get served that day at MVCs, with the exception of a few North Jersey locations, Connolly said.
But that can still mean hours before service and building a day around the MVC, depending on your circumstances. The Manahawkin location operates from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays.
The entire situation can be prevented by the MVC accommodating people by opening earlier and staying later," Langel said. "Many businesses are doing such things. There is no reason why they can’t open early and close late or even stay open 24/7 until this nightmare is over."
Read the MVC spokesperson's full statement below:
"MVC continues to experience high volumes due to our nearly 4-month closure and reported record sales of used cars that need to be registered.
"At all but a few MVC Centers (mostly in North Jersey), customers do not need to arrive before we open at 8AM to be served on any given weekday. At the Manahawkin Vehicle Center, for instance, customers who arrive by 10:30 or 11AM on a weekday will be served that day.
"We ticket customers upon opening, ask them to provide a cell number, and then customers can leave the MVC location. About 20-30 minutes prior to when they will be served, customers will begin receiving a series of texts directing them to return to the MVC Center for service. Customers do not need to wait at the MVC all day or camp out overnight to be served.
"We have worked aggressively to move transactions online to reduce the need for visits to MVC Centers, and continue to do so. Everyone should check NJMVC.gov before visiting a Center, to see if they can do their transaction online, to verify what location to visit, and to get the latest updates."
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This article originally appeared on the Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch
