An influx of Internet users desperately trying to obtain Colorado drivers licenses Tuesday unexpectedly caused the Department of Motor Vehicle's website to shutdown.
The crash came a few weeks before a law that passed in the Colorado Legislature last year, which gave individuals with no social security number the opportunity to obtain a license. The law, which goes into effect Aug. 1, applies to illegal immigrants, and those with temporary legal status who can prove they live in Colorado, pay taxes, and have applied for citizenship, CBS Denver reported.
The website tallied 60,000 hits in no more than an hour, according to The Post. In a phone message, the department told citizens "due to high call volume, we are unable to take your call." The line would then disconnect.
The founder of the issue's advocacy group, "Driver's Licenses For All" who fought for the law's passage stated that his fellow members were not happy with Tuesday's frustrating incident, according to The Denver Post.
"The department isn't prepared," explained Ramirez. "We gave them more than a year, and they aren't prepared. They're only going to open five offices. They aren't answering the phones. This isn't supposed to be a pilot, or a trial run. This is the law."
The department hopes the strong number of people wanting to enroll in the program will help the agency's staff better handle the situation.
"Although this program is not scheduled to roll out until Aug. 1, 2014, there is clearly a great deal of interest by the community to obtain these services," said Barbara Brohl, executive director of the Colorado Department of Revenue in an e-mail. "We believe that this will help ensure that we can meet the needs of this program appropriately."
Some callers told Denver CBS 4 about their annoyances with their phone experience.
"I try and try and try," stated America Carbajalo, a driver from Mexico. Carbajalo attempted to set-up an appointment to apply for the identification card. "I try everyday. I need an appointment. I need my license."
