public service

Licensing head promises change

Maydée Romero/LA PRENSA

bad service:Customers wait for new licenses.989185

Reforms to the Panama City licensing department may be forthcoming in the wake of a slew of customer complaints.

Andrés Caballero, director of the Proyecto de Licencias of the Autoridad de Tránsito y Transporte Terrestre (ATTT), said that the agency is contemplating changes in the way it deals with people and information at the Sertracen office in Multicentro Mall.

One common complaint is that ATTT records do not match those on file with Sertracen, the company that the government has hired to issue new licenses.

Because of the poor service offered at the center, people often start lining up at the office at 6 a.m. or earlier, even though it doesn't open until 10 a.m.

One person, Manuel Quintero, recently waited in line for hours to resolve an unpaid ticket problem before finally meeting with a representative. He was then told that, if he had a complaint, he would have to call a help line. When Quintero tried to see the worker's supervisor, he was told that person wasn't available.

"I had a receipt showing that I paid a ticket," he said. "I just wanted to see the person responsible."

These are the types of situations that Caballero is trying to avoid.

He said that outdated computer systems are the primary cause of many problems, but that the agency is addressing that issue.

As for the treatment of customers, he said that the staff has undergone service-related training.

"They should treat everyone with courtesy and respect," he said.