Mansfield DPW Vehicles May No Longer have License to Drive

The Mansfield Department of Public Works may have some issues doing their jobs this year, as the Massachusetts Registry of Motor vehicles has informed the town of Mansfield that some DPW vehicles are no longer licensed to be on the roads.

Sidewalk snowplows, front-end loaders and backhoes, according to a statewide order, are no longer able to drive on public roads, according to Mansfield town Manager Ross.

“I’ve reported this to the [Massachusetts Municipal Association] and our state representatives,” Ross said. “[The state is] claiming that a statute says they are not licensable vehicles. It’s strange, because there are no new laws.”

According to Ross, such vehicles will now have to be transported by a truck to a work site to perform their duties, which adds time and labor costs to the town.

“This impacts all of the municipalities of the Commonwealth,” he said.

Mansfield selectmen said they want to wait to hear from the MMA before making any statement on the issue.

"I have several ideas to propose a solution, but I'm going to hold my tounge until we figure out what the MMA accomplishes," selectman chair Olivier Kozlowski said.