March 8, 2018 Ms. Alison Morris RMV Program Director Agganis Driving School Inc. has been

23 Pages·2017·1.55 MB·English

by  Koren Agganis

March 8, 2018

Ms. Alison Morris
RMV Program Director

Agganis Driving School Inc. has been offering exceptional services to its customers for over 48 years.
We currently offer after-hours driver’s license tests to those wishing to participate in this service with us.
Approximately 10 – 15 of the customers we have per week have participated in driving school / lessons with
another provider, some of these driving schools do not offer the after-hours driver’s license tests to their
customers.

It has come to my attention that if a customer contacts Agganis Driving School and would like to sign up for
one of our after-hours driver’s license tests, that we cannot provide or confirm this service to that
customer without first seeking permission from the Registry of Motor Vehicles?
I anticipate that this is either going to create a significant issues for us, or unnecessary steps in order for a
driving school to provide this service to its customers.

For over 30 years we have been offering driver’s license test services to Junior operators that have been
certified by the RMV and to those over 18 years of age with a valid Massachusetts learner’s permit.

Why shouldn’t anyone be able to choose on their own which driving school / service provider that they
would like to participate with?
The RMV has already had their requirements met by having them obtain a Massachusetts learners permit
and certifying them, each of which they were charged and paid a fee directly to the RMV.

Customers appreciate and expect us to make processes easier for them. (Specifically RMV processes)

Is our communication to our customers supposed to sound something like this? :
“Hi Lisa, thank you for contacting us to participate in one of the driver’s license tests that we provide,
unfortunately, you will have to call and get permission to have your records released to us from the RMV?”

*No one ever wants to deal with or call the RMV!

I am extremely concerned and confused by this.

Sincerely,

Christopher P. Agganis
President
Agganis Driving School Inc.

www.agganis.com
580 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Local: 781.944.1663
Fax: [phone]
March 16, 2018

Ms. Alison Morris
RMV Program Director

As we get closer to March 26th the anticipation of the launch of this new Atlas software is growing.

Initially, I was excited to finally hear that the RMV/MassDOT was upgrading their systems.

I am certain that everyone’s expectations are that this system will make communications / transactions with
the RMV much easier. However, after further investigation, my excitement has quickly turned into concern. I
have addressed two of the major concerns that I see, in the e-mails that I forwarded to everyone in this
chain on Thursday, March 8th. Although, I haven’t received any type of acknowledgement or response.

Please let me know if you have received these e-mails or not, so that I may re-send.

In short, one of the major concerns is that this system, or the RMV will not allow a customer to choose an
after hours road test provider of their choice without the customer or the driving school contacting the RMV
directly and requesting either permission or release of their records?

As I briefly explained in my last e-mail. We at Agganis Driving School have between 60-80 customers each
month that participate in the after hours drivers license tests that we provide that have participated in the
classroom or driving lessons portions with another driving school. Some of these customers have selected us
because they may prefer the services / vehicles we provide, and/or others may have attended a driving
school that does not offer the after hours drivers license tests. With that being said, the concern I have is
that with this new system it looks like we are going to have to make between 60 - 80 telephone calls to the
RMV or send at least that many e-mails each month (2-3 times a day) seeking permission or the release of
records before the customer is allowed to get confirmation or be able to participate in this service.

Agganis has been providing after hours drivers license test for over 30 years, with the only significant glitch
during that time being that the RMV has not employed a reasonable number of (RTE’s) road test examiners
to satisfy the demand for the number of drivers license tests.

Please consider that Agganis Driving School is just one of the approximately 250 driving schools that operate
in the state of Massachusetts.
Also please consider that out of these 250 +\- driving schools that only a small portion (approx 60) of them
participate or take advantage of the after hours drivers license tests.

I am asking if you or someone from the RMV would please contact me either by telephone or e-mail before
the launch date of this new system, March 26th and make me aware of this situation and exactly how it is
supposed to help/work.

Sincerely,
Christopher P. Agganis
President
Agganis Driving School Inc.

www.agganis.com
580 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Local: 781.944.1663
Fax: [phone]
March 26, 2018

Ms. Erin Deveney,
Registrar
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Registry of Motor Vehicles

Dear Registrar,

It has come to my attention that the RMV has changed the policy/laws governing when an individual may
obtain a drivers license in the state of Massachusetts.
I have owned and operated Agganis Driving School Inc. since 1995. Agganis has become a staple in its
primary area and has set the standard in drivers education.
It has/is our business to ensure that the general public, specifically new drivers are familiar with the laws,
policies, and procedures in the state of Massachusetts in order to help them succeed and obtain a
Massachusetts drivers license.

I, as well as my employees, have attended every summit meeting and participated in each of the webinar
training session that were offered . It was never discussed or a point of topic that the age to obtain a
Massachusetts drivers License or the age in which you are able to schedule a Massachusetts drivers license
test was going to change.

For over 30 years, the requirements to obtain a Massachusetts drivers license test are as follows:
Anyone over 18 years of age must obtain a Massachusetts learners permit.
Anyone under 18 years of age must have completed a driver education program, (Drivers Education
Certificate) have a valid learners permit for at least 6 months and be at least 16 and a half years of age
according to the Julian calendar.

I am assuming the new system has a “field error” as it is not allowing the driving school or students to
schedule their drivers license test until they turn 16 1/2. Even though they have a valid learners permit, have
a driver education certificate issued, and will be 16 ½ or older on the day of their test.
Because of this glitch/change/error in the system the RMV software will not allow us submit 35 eligible
participants for the after-hours-drivers License test to be conducted on April 7th 2018.
All of these participants as well as the driving school has followed all of the rules and regulations set forth by
the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the State of Massachusetts.
(Each of these participants has a valid learners permit for at least 6 months, a driver education certificate
issued and will be 16 ½ on or before the day of their drivers license test!)

We have a total of 35 customers signed up and are expecting to participate in an after-hours-drivers license
test on April 7th 2018, However, the new software system is not allowing us to submit for these tests.

We have been providing exceptional services to our customers and each of them pay and expect that those
services will be provided.

www.agganis.com
580 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Local: 781.944.1663
Fax: [phone]
Can you or someone from your office please contact me to discuss this error/glitch and let us know how it
can be rectified?

I am trying to prevent our customers from becoming disgruntled.

Sincerely,
Christopher P. Agganis
President
Agganis Driving School Inc.

www.agganis.com
580 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Local: 781.944.1663
Fax: [phone]
March 28, 2018

Ms. Erin Deveney, Registrar
Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
Massachusetts Department of Transportation

Dear Registrar Deveney,

I have written and forwarded to you and your staff a number of emails regarding the new software system
that the RMV launched on March 26, 2018. In those emails, I cited several major concerns that I foresaw
prior to this launch.

Now, post-launch, my concerns have become a painful reality.

I write to you today on behalf of Agganis Driving School and our customers. I have owned and operated the
school since 1995, after taking the reins from my father, George P. Agganis, who established the school in
1970. Over the years, Agganis has become a mainstay in our service area, setting the standard in driver
education.

Over the past five decades, the state rules remained the same: Massachusetts residents could schedule
their driver's license test as long as they completed the state requirements and turned 16 1/2 on or before
the test date. In addition, Massachusetts residents weren't required to seek permission or approval from
the RMV before selecting a driving school or service provider for their driver's license test.

I am sure you can appreciate the time, effort, and energy I have invested in growing my family business over
the past 23 years. In addition to focusing on my business, I have also felt a responsibility to remain vigilant
about activities at the RMV.

Unfortunately, I have suspected (and subsequently exposed) a number of wrongdoings at the RMV in that
time. After attending summit meetings and webinars with your agency over the past few months, I again
had the sense that things weren't right. Now that the new software has launched, my suspicions have been
confirmed.

However, this isn't about vindication. This is about my dismay at how your agency deceived the general
public and driving schools by changing the policies around scheduling driver's tests and choosing a service
provider.

I understand that new software launches present a convenient opportunity for organizations to change
policies and procedures. However, you are the head of a state agency — one that the general public as well
as driving schools must rely on.

Given your position, I can't understand why I haven't received a genuine response to my repeated attempts
to make you aware of issues with the new software. Instead, I received only a generic response from Atlas,
the firm the state hired to design and build the software.

www.agganis.com
580 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Local: 781.944.1663
Fax: [phone]
I presume that many state representatives and senators approved this spending because they believe this
new software will help serve the general public more efficiently and effectively. Perhaps they even believe
this is the solution to the 10- to 16-week backlog for driver's license tests that has plagued the RMV for over
three years (a problem that could be resolved by having the appropriate number of road test examiners to
meet the demand, I might add).

Regardless, I have to ask you:
 Do you believe the new software should remove an individual's choice of service provider for the
driver's license test?
 Do you believe it is acceptable to introduce new regulations that prevent an individual from
obtaining a driver's license at 16 1/2 years of age without first seeking permission from lawmakers
or at least making the general public aware of such a major change?

While the change may have seemed subtle to your agency, I want you to be aware of how it has impacted
my business and my clients.

Currently, Agganis Driving School has 65 students who have held their learner's permits for at least six
months. Each has completed the minimum requirements of a driver education program and been issued a
driver's education certificate by the RMV. Each will be at least 16 1/2 years of age on or before the driver's
license test date of April 7, 2018. Even though these individuals followed the rules, however, the RMV's
newly designed software won't allow 35 of the 65 to participate in this test.

Frankly, this is the highest level of deception and abuse of power by the RMV that I have ever witnessed.
What is ironic is what you said about the new systems and software when you spoke at the beginning of the
first summit meeting in September 2017. These were your exact words:

"I/we at the Registry of Motor Vehicles want to be completely transparent with everyone in
attendance. We consider all of you our partners, as we all work for and serve the general public."

As you may recall, I sent you an email the next day questioning your transparency after you refused to
answer a straightforward, critical question that I asked about supply and demand.

Certainly, you must be aware that despite the new system, the number of driver's license tests won't
decrease at all and demand will stay exactly the same. But are you aware that the 35 Agganis Driving
School customers who are eligible and should be able to participate in the April 7 driver's license test will
be extremely disgruntled that they have to wait — and justifiably so?

In light of this, I have had no choice but to spend most of today investigating and trying to understand how
these "mistakes" with the new software could have happened. My conclusion: They weren't mistakes at all,
but rather were intentional actions designed to give the RMV more control.

www.agganis.com
580 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Local: 781.944.1663
Fax: [phone]
What I would like to know is this:
 Who is responsible for making the decision that you can no longer obtain a Massachusetts driver's
license upon turning 16 1/2?
 Who decided what the new Massachusetts law would be?
 What is it that led you and/or others to believe you had the authority to make these changes?
 If, in fact, you have the authority as Registrar to make these changes, why were they made without
informing the general public or driving schools in advance?

As I stated earlier, I feel an obligation to keep my customers happy, which is why I must now hold you (and
the Governor) accountable for decisions that have left many of my customers extremely unhappy.

In the absence of a response from you, I am inclined to believe these changes may satisfy a personal agenda.
If I am wrong, please correct me and restore my faith in your agency to do what's best for the tax-paying
citizens of the Commonwealth.

Respectfully,

Christopher P. Agganis
President
Agganis Driving School Inc.

www.agganis.com
580 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Local: 781.944.1663
Fax: [phone]
March 30, 2018

Ms. Erin Deveney,
Registrar
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Registry of Motor Vehicles

Registrar Deveney,

I feel obligated to bring to your attention that the RMV spokesperson that shared information with
WBZ/CBS Channel 4 News reporter Christina Hager on Thursday, March 29th, misrepresented the
truth about the new software, policies of the RMV and conduct of Massachusetts Driving Schools.
This link connects to the Channel 4 News report: http://boston.cbslocal.com/video/3836725-rmv-computer-
upgrades-cause-major-delays-for-drivers/

Before Monday, March 26th 2018.
All driving schools as well as the general public have always been able to “pre-schedule” their drivers license
tests as long as each of the Massachusetts state requirements / laws were satisfied.
(Page 19-20, Massachusetts drivers license manual.)

Which include:

• Obtain and hold a Learners Permit for at least 6 months.
• Complete a driver education program.
• Have a driver education certificate issued by the RMV.
• Be at least 16 1/2 years of age on or before the day of your drivers license test.

Although the system has never allowed anyone to participate on the actual drivers license test before the
day we turn 16 1/2, the system has always allowed us to schedule our drivers license test as long as all of
the above requirements were satisfied! We have always been able to anticipate, prepare and schedule a
drivers license test for the very first day we were eligible (turning 16 1/2) as long as there were tests
available on that day. However, the system has always prevented anyone from scheduling a drivers license
test before the driver education certificate was issued.

(I am absolutely beside myself on how much time I have spent trying to explain these rules, regulations,
requirements and laws in regards to scheduling and obtaining a Massachusetts Drivers License to you and
two of your senior staff members. Each of which adamantly rejected the information that I was explaining to
them and tried desperately to covert me into believing the deception/manipulation they
are convincing everyone else of. This works well with people that do not have the expertise or experience in
that field or topic, which is why I would not accept an offer to give my customers this particular staff
members contact information and have them deal directly with them.)

www.agganis.com
580 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Local: 781.944.1663
Fax: [phone]
These state requirements have been in place/enforced since as far back as I am able to remember, until
Monday, March 26, 2018.

Your senior staff members programmed this new Atlas software incorrectly and are doing everything in their
power to try and convince the media, John Q Public, and anyone unfamiliar with the Massachusetts general
laws & State requirements that this new system has been programmed to work the way the system always
has. They also insinuated that “some driving schools have been pre-scheduling drivers license tests by
slipping information through the cracks”.
This level of manipulation and deception by state employees is suspect and causing reprehensible damage
that will be difficult for the general public and I to ever forget.

If there is any possibility that this has not been done intentionally, I am begging and pleading with you to
understand that whoever is responsible for either translating this information to the Atlas software team, or
the Atlas software team themselves made a mistake that affects the general public negatively.

Sincerely,
Christopher P. Agganis
President
Agganis Driving School Inc.

www.agganis.com
580 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Local: 781.944.1663
Fax: [phone]
April 4, 2018

Ms. Alison Morris
RMV Program Director

I am contacting you to express my concern and dismay over a programming error that impedes our ability to
schedule driver’s license tests for our students.

Agganis Driving School recently submitted 65 students to the RMV, requesting that they be allowed to
participate in the driver’s license test on April 7th, 2018. These students have all abided by Massachusetts
state law, completed each of the Massachusetts state requirements and will be 16 ½ on or before the day of
the test. However, as of March 26, 2018, the new Atlas software system has been programmed to prevent
these students from being able to take or participate in the test on April 7th.

Despite the fact that I and my sister and business manager, Koren Agganis, have alerted you to this issue on
at least two occasions by phone (on March 30th and April 3rd, respectively), you and other members of the
senior staff at the RMV have insisted we submit students through the Atlas portal and that there is no
programming error in the system.

Massachusetts law (Alars) has always allowed us to schedule a driver’s license test to applicants under the
following conditions:
 They have been issued a driver education certificate
 They have held a learner’s permit for at least six months
 They will turn 16 ½ on or before their test date

This is how the law has been written, taught and abided by for years. I would be happy to provide you with
proof in the form of over 20,000 records from the Agganis Driving School database that our students have
been able to take a driver’s license test on the day they turned 16 ½ either during the week at the RMV or at
an after-hours test with a driving school. This means they were able to schedule their test after completing
and meeting all of the Massachusetts state requirements mentioned above.

However, as of March 26th, the new Atlas system appears to have changed in a way that is not in
accordance with Massachusetts state law and requirements for scheduling a driver’s license test.
Specifically, the system will not allow an applicant to schedule a driver’s license test:
 Regardless if the applicant has turned 16 ½ on or before the day of the test
 Regardless if the applicant has held a learner’s permit for at least six months
 Regardless of the Massachusetts State laws

This means that no one is able to participate, prepare, schedule or know in advance which date they will be
eligible to take or participate in a driver’s license test, regardless of Massachusetts state law, whether or not
they’ve completed all of the Massachusetts state requirement, or whether or not they will have turned 16 ½
on or before the selected test date.

www.agganis.com
580 Main Street
Reading, MA 01867
Local: 781.944.1663
Fax: [phone]