FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 26, 2001

Contact: SID GAULDEN, (803) 896-8755

COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina Department of Public Safety announces that it will install new driver’s license equipment in five offices next week, including the remaining three Columbia offices. The Irmo/Ballentine branch office and the Lexington branch office were the first to receive the new equipment beginning the week of April 16. These two offices have served as test sites for the new equipment before it’s rolled out to the 70 Division of Motor Vehicles branch offices statewide.

The following branch offices will close for one day each next week while technicians install the equipment and employees are trained. The dates for installation and closings are as follows: Decker Mall Express Office, April 30; Dutch Plaza Express and Dealer Central, May 1; Shop Road, May 2: Camden, May 3; Newberry, May 4.

"So far, the equipment installations and production testing have gone very well in our two test offices near Columbia," said DPS Director B. Boykin Rose. "We have had a few minor problems that we have been able to correct, but overall I think our customers have been pleased with a much shorter wait time for getting a new license."

It took the old driver’s license equipment around 10 to 15 minutes to produce one driver’s license. The new equipment can produce seven to 10 credentials in about 10 minutes, substantially reducing customer wait time.

In this first phase of the rollout, all driver’s license equipment will be replaced. DMV offices will receive new computers, new machines to issue driver’s licenses and new driver’s license testing equipment. The driver’s license also will have a new look. The software applications, new DMV database and vehicle registration equipment will be installed in the offices in the Fall of 2001.

No more than two offices in the state will close on any given day, and customers will be notified in advance of the closings so they can arrange to visit other offices or wait until the next business day to complete their transactions. This initial rollout of new equipment should be completed by the end of June. Information about office closings will be available through the DPS web site at www.scdps.org.

** Attention editors: Dutch Plaza will be closed Friday, April 27, for other equipment repairs in addition to May 1 when it will be closed for equipment installation.

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SI/60/01

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