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Duff Urges DMV To Find Vendor In Fairfield County To Replace AAA

NORWALK, Conn. -- After it was announced last week that AAA offices in Fairfield and New Haven counties will no longer perform any services for the Department of Motor Vehicles, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk, Darien) is calling on the state to find a new vendor for driver's license renewals. 

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff is urging the Department of Motor Vehicles to find a vendor to perform license renewals and other services formerly provided in Fairfield County by AAA Northeast.

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff is urging the Department of Motor Vehicles to find a vendor to perform license renewals and other services formerly provided in Fairfield County by AAA Northeast.

Photo Credit: Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff

Connecticut's contract with AAA Northeast ended on January 1 after the DMV could not reach an agreement with the franchise, which owns offices throughout the state. The department said that it had been in negotiations with AAA Northeast since October, but could not agree to the franchise's terms that it serve only its members and exclude the rest of the public. 

After news broke last week, Duff sent a letter to DMV Commissioner Michael Bzdyra, urging him to find a new vendor.

"I appreciate that the DMV negotiated in good faith with AAA Northeast, even after the vendor attempted to renege on its existing contract in 2016 and resumed providing services only under the threat of a lawsuit from Governor (Dannel) Malloy," Duff wrote. "I find it difficult to understand why AAA Northeast was unable to reach an agreement with the state when the other AAA franchise in Connecticut, AAA Club Alliance, recently renewed its contract for another five years."

DMV services will continue at AAA Allied offices in Avon, Cromwell, Enfield, Manchester, Old Saybrook, Plainville, Waterford and West Hartford. Following the termination of the contract with AAA Northeast, the DMV reallocated staff to assist its Fairfield and New Haven County offices and redeployed equipment to handle additional customers in those offices.

“I am sure that you can imagine that the loss of these services performed by AAA Northeast is an important issue for the Connecticut residents that I represent,” wrote Duff. “I would urge you and the Department of Motor Vehicles to quickly find a new private vendor to take over the providing of these services in order to disrupt licensing in the affected areas as little as possible.”

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