MVC says all systems go: Extra customer service, IT staff on hand Friday

Above: MVC Chairman and Chief Administrator Raymond Martinez speaks with Jeff Edelstein earlier this week about long lines and delays at MVC branches.

TRENTON — The Motor Vehicle Commission says is gearing up for increased demand on Friday, as computer problems plagued operations in the last week of the month.

MVC Chairman and Chief Administrator Raymond Martinez said all branches will have additional staff working on Friday to accomodate customers who were affected by computer failures during the week.

Branches lost the ability to process drivers licenses on Thursday for an hour due to “statewide systems issues.” On Tuesday, the agency also suffered serious system issues, taking down its ability to issue driver licenses and schedule road tests.

Spokeswoman Mairin Bellack said the systems are up and ready to go with extra IT staff. The agency is continuing a transition from centralized, mainframe-based systems to cloud computing platforms Bellack said should minimize the sort of statewide downtime seen in recent days.

Martinez said a trip to a branch can be avoided by using the MVC's website for many types of transactions, including registration renewal.

"In anticipation of heavier volumes in our agencies this Friday and Saturday we encourage everyone who can, to take advantage of convenient and time-saving online transactions," Martinez said, adding that additional online support staff will also be available.

Volume at MVC offices can also be checked via the agency's website.

Dino Flammia contributed to this report