I-Team: Woman receives handicap placard from RMV for someone who died 15 years ago
BOSTON -- Complaints continue to pile up about the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles' long wait times, backlogs, and red tape. One woman recently told the WBZ I-Team that the agency is opening the door for people to abuse handicap parking accommodations.
She said the RMV sent a renewed disabled placard to her home. The problem is, no one there has a disability. It was addressed to her husband's late wife, who died nearly 15 years ago.
"I'm sure there's a good amount of people who would take advantage of it with a free pass to park in front of the entrance to a Target, a restaurant, or mall," she said.
It has some who legitimately need designated parking, questioning why the RMV is not checking up on whether recipients are even alive. "It takes away from people like myself that actually really need it," said Nubia Lisboa of Marlborough, who is missing an arm, and often struggles to carry shopping bags to her car.
After a series of reports about problems at the RMV, viewers inundated the I-Team with messages.
Among them, "I am having a terrible time trying...to get a driving test," said one viewer. Another wrote, "I made an appointment online and they claimed I didn't (even though I had an email confirming)..."
Also, a slew of comments on social media. "I had to wait about three weeks to register my new car," said a viewer on Facebook. Another on Twitter wrote, "I had to make an appointment ONE MONTH OUT to renew my license!"
The Massachusetts Attorney General is also getting an earful. Her office received more than 150 complaints about the RMV in almost two years. WBZ-TV has repeatedly asked the RMV how it's addressing these problems and has gotten no response.