Immigrants have poured into state Motor Vehicle Administration agencies in recent weeks, capitalizing on the chance to get a license without making an appointment.
MVA headquarters in Glen Burnie were jammed Wednesday. Employees posted a sign that read “hour-and-a-half wait,” at the customer service desk.
Seating inside the driver?s license office was tight, and so was the parking lot.
Many people waiting flipped through Spanish-language MVA guides. They sat on the floor and stood in lines snaking around the room. Some nodded off while waiting for their numbers to be called.
Some customers reported people were already lined up at 8 a.m.
“You should see Gaithersburg, the line is wrapped around the building” said Owings Mill resident Liticia Carter of the MVA facility there. Carter said she drove to the Glen Burnie facility specifically because she heard the lines were not as long.
“They need a better system ? the state should fund more building,” said Catonsville resident Mark Saan, “It?s getting progressively more crowded.”
The MVA is now allowing immigrants who want licenses to walk in for service, marking the end of a policy of appointments only.
Kim Propeack, of Casa de Maryland Inc., said there were too few time openings under the prior system. She also criticized the lack of Spanish-speaking employees, lag in paperwork turn-over and wait times of up to four months. Casa sued the MVA in November 2005 for placing an “undue burden” on immigrants.
The suit is still pending.
Propeak said the long lines at the MVA reflect a need for increased resources.
“There is a pretty significant backlog of people waiting to get in the door,” Propeak said, “The amount of services are vastly, vastly inadequate.”
MVA officials were not available to comment and were not answering phones.
