Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 19, 1995 TAG: 9506200023
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
You discover that when you try to call the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' boat registration and titling office in Richmond. The line is busy. You call again. Busy. It is busy for more than an hour.
You call the department's main switchboard and ask to be connected to the boat registration office. After a lengthy pause, you are told, ``That line is busy. Would you like the direct number?''
You tell the operator you have been trying the direct number for more than an hour. ``Any suggestions?''
``Try calling at 8:15 in the morning, when the office opens.''
The line is busy then, too. It is busy at 8:40 and 9:45 and 9:58.
When you finally get through you are told it could take 31/2 weeks to complete a simple title change on your boat. Half of the summer boating season will be gone by then.
Larry Hart, deputy director of the game and fish department, is aware of the problem.
``I hope people will have patience, because we are swamped,'' he said.
``We had 18,000 transactions in the month of May,'' Hart said. ``Generally, June is our busiest month, but we had the all-time record in May, and we are thinking June still is going to beat that.''
A boom in boat sales coupled with the usual peak-season registering and titling load is credited with the backlog. In addition, the registration form has been updated, and some boaters continue to use the old form, which slows the process.
In an effort to keep up with the demand, Hart said the department is working people overtime, hiring hourly clerks and transferring employees from other departments. The phone lines still are busy much of the time.
Beyond June, things should be less hectic. ``We expect we will be able to catch back up,'' Hart said.
Beginning July 1, the state will have a new temporary registration certificate. It will give a boater the opportunity to operate a motorboat for 30 days while waiting for the permanent registration and title to be processed.
The certificate was established by the 1995 General Assembly, after a subcommittee found the No.1 request of boaters was a quicker paperwork route to the water. The certificate may be purchased for $10.50 from hunting and fishing license agents.
In a news release last week, the game and fish department said additional information on the new certificate is available by calling the boat registration number: 804-367-0939.
Good luck getting through!
by CNB