|
|
|
P.O. Box 004
Trenton, NJ 08625
Contact: Pete McDonough/Jayne O'Connor
609-777-2600
RELEASE: January 21, 2000
|
Office of the Governor
Whitman to Limit Parsons'
Payments Attorney General to Issue Directive
(Morris Plains) - NJ Gov. Christie Whitman today announced that the State will limit its payments to Parson Infrastructure Group to the $21.06 per inspection rate the vendor was being paid for operating the system prior to the December 13 switch to enhanced emissions testing. The Governor also asked Attorney General John Farmer to issue a directive to all law enforcement agencies to not use expired inspection stickers as the primary cause for motor vehicle stops unless those stickers are more than two months overdue.
"The fact is that prior to the December 13th switch over to the enhanced system, Parsons was operating an efficient and effective system. Since that change, and despite all assurances to the contrary, the system has been nothing but lines, breakdowns and frustration," Whitman said.
"The current circumstances demand that Parsons' payments be limited to the earlier and lower amount," she said.
The Governor asked the Attorney General to issue the directive on motor vehicle stops because of the nearly 8,000 cars that have received 45-day extensions and the likelihood that motorists have been discouraged from having their cars inspected due to fears of long lines.
"It simply isn't fair or effective to pull over cars with expired stickers unless the sticker is so far beyond its expiration date that the driver could not possibly have received an extension," she said.
"It will still be a driving offense for motorists to drive beyond their inspection date unless they have received an extension, but a recently-expired sticker, in and of itself, will not be considered an appropriate cause for a motor vehicle stop," she added.
The Attorney General's directive will be issued on Monday, January 24, 2000.
|
|
