The repercussions of the covid pandemic have left traces that go beyond those merely related to health. In this new scenario that has opened after the health crisis, our relationship with the Administration has experienced significant transformations, marked by the need to obtain prior appointments to carry out procedures and manage services of various kinds.
One of the organizations that has most decisively opted for digitalization is the General Directorate of Traffic. After launching the miDGT mobile application in March 2000, in the middle of the pandemic, which a year ago already exceeded 8.3 million downloads, the organization led by Pere Navarro has embarked on a path towards modernization.
This change of course has meant a radical transformation in the way in which citizens interact with the DGT. For more than three years now, most of the procedures, procedures and consultations can be carried out virtually, through electronic platforms and the aforementioned miDGT mobile application, making in-person access increasingly complicated.
To access the in-person service with Traffic, it is essential to make a prior reservation through their website or by calling 060. However, as the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has confirmed, obtaining a prior appointment with the DGT is not possible. not easy due to high demand and limited availability of shifts.
The OCU has carried out a field study to verify the difficulty and possible obstacles that citizens face when trying to obtain prior appointments in the public administration. The consumer protection organization explains on its website that to carry out the investigation it has requested 1,800 prior appointments for different procedures and that one in three attempts has been unsuccessful.
According to the OCU, either there are no appointments available or they are given for another city, sometimes 200 km away from the place of residence. He also adds that the delay for the appointment can be very long, “in some cases, more than 40 days on average” and cites the DGT and the Civil Registries as the agencies with the longest waits.
In total, the OCU selected six fairly common procedures with various organizations, including the change of ownership of a vehicle with the DGT, from 25 cities of different sizes. He did it both in the month of July and in the month of October, to see if there is a seasonal difference, but in general the results were the same.
Regarding the results, the procedures with the greatest difficulties were the request to change a car owner and the delays of the SEPE in processing the unemployment benefit. In the first case, in 3 out of 5 requests there were no spaces available and only in La Coruña, Granada, Oviedo and Soria was there the possibility of booking an appointment in advance in each attempt made.
The OCU details the result of the 300 attempts to obtain an appointment at the DGT offices to change the ownership of a vehicle. On 178 occasions there were no appointments available and when he did get an appointment, only on 51 occasions did he get in-person care in less than six days. In the rest of the attempts (71) the appointment was available beyond six days.
It is important to keep in mind that there is a period of 30 days from the signing of the purchase-sale contract to carry out the process of changing ownership of a vehicle. In addition to doing it in person, this procedure can be completed through the DGT's digital media or at an agency.
People over 65 years of age or with reduced mobility can carry out procedures in person at the offices and Traffic Headquarters without having to request an appointment by phone or internet.
