(BIVN) – Long lines still plague the Hawaii County Department of Motor Vehicles location in Kona, depending on the time of year, but the administration is working on a number of things that should improve the wait time.

During a recent Finance Department review before the Hawaii County Council in Hilo, councilmembers wanted to know if more can be done to make the experience better for motorists at the Kona DMV. The Finance Department oversees Vehicle Registration & Licensing Division.

“We see it every single day,” said Kona councilman Dru Kanuha. “The amount of people lined up, waiting for hours. I’m not blaming anybody, it’s just something that, you know… it reoccurs, then we talk about it every single year.”

Councilwoman Maile David shared a photo she captured of a line stretching across the West Hawaii Civic Center.

“Kona is extremely hard to keep fully staffed,” Finance director Deanna Sako replied. “The wages we pay are not comparable to what the resorts and some of the other areas pay. So keeping it fully staffed is one challenge. However, when everybody is at work, the lines tend to be pretty good.”

“We implemented the queuing system,” Sako said, adding that “we’re about to go live with our cashiering system.”

“Then, we’re going together with Maui and Kauai for a kiosk-type system, so that you don’t have to wait in line,” Sako said. “I believe they’re going to even put these kiosks in some of the grocery stores. So that you can go up and scan the card you get in the mail for your vehicle registration and then – as long as your safety check is current – you can pay for it right there with your credit card or cash, whatever you want, and then it will print your decal and registration for you.”

“So that will hopefully help to reduce the line, as well,” Sako said. She added that the kiosks could be ready by this summer. “I’m excited,” she said.