From left, Republicans Don Guardian, Claire Swift and Vince Polistina.
TRENTON NJ State Sen. Vince Polistina, Assemblyman Don Guardian and Assemblywoman Claire Swift have called on NJ Motor Vehicle Commission Chief B. Sue Fulton to restore full service at the Cardiff MVC office.
In a May 24th letter, the legislators cited the spike in gas prices and overall distance of travel for South Jersey residents as the main reasons for the request.
We understand the changes that happened during the height of the COVID pandemic, but those times are gone, Polistina said. With the price of gas at an all-time high, and more restrictions related to COVID going away, it's time to get the MVC back to normal.
Guardian noted that South Jersey residents do not have the same resources as most Central and North Jersey counties.
Atlantic County is one of the few counties in the state that does not have two agencies within its borders, or within a reasonable distance, he said. The closest vehicle transaction agency is 33 miles from the Cardiff location, this is just unacceptable.
They said there are limited resources available in the southern portion of the state, unemployment is among the highest in the state, casino gaming and tourism was impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown and capacity limitations, and inflation and high gas prices are the highest in history.
Atlantic, Cape, Cumberland, and Salem counties are all license-only transactions, Swift said. How do you explain to all of our summer residents that in order to be legal with their boats, trailers and jet-skis that you have to spend an entire day, some driving further than 45 miles, to comply with the law?
The legislators said they hope to have a resolution by early summer.
Individuals seeking assistance with the MVC, or any other state related matter, are encouraged to call the Office of Polistina, Guardian and Swift at 609-677-8266.
