The NJ Motor Vehicle Commission's computer problems were blamed again Monday for causing delays for customers, but officials say they're ready to go for Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Marin Bellack said all systems are being monitored in conjunction with the state's Office of Information Technology for potential problems on Tuesday. Bellack said that the MVC's aging mainframe that is shared with other state government departments was to blame for Monday's problem.

Bellack said if an agent notices a problem with processing a transaction, he or she notifies the MVC's own IT department immediately "and they work in conjunction with the OIT to identify the problem and they try to troubleshoot it and resolve the problem as soon as possible."

 

She added there is no one consistent sign of trouble on the system.

"Different things happen with different circumstances," she said.

The MVC has come under fire for recent computer issues that have caused slowdowns and outright suspensions of service while problems are fixed. Last month, it saw several statewide shutdowns that kept it from processing driver license applications and other transactions.

New Jersey 101.5's own Dan Zarrow got caught up in one system failure — leading to a three-hour wait to renew his license. He said 37 minutes went by between the time state officials said computers were back online and the time employees at the South Plainfield MVC seemed aware of it.

"We are the most customer-facing agency in the entire state. We deal with millions of transactions a year and it's a very challenging when we have a lot of professional individuals out there. It's a difficult task for customer service but we are committed to helping our customers and make things as easy as possible. It is frustrating but we are committed to our job," Bellack said.

She also suggested that customers not wait until the end of the month to renew licenses. Bellack said licenses can be renewed six months ahead of their expiration date and registrations three months.

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