Question: Must I have an appointment to switch to a vanity plate?
Answer: No, not if you already have a vehicle registered on Oahu, in which case you can apply for a personalized plate online, according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services. If not, you can make an appointment to handle the transaction in person. For more information and a link to the online ordering portal, go to www8.honolulu.gov/csd/special-plates.
Q: How do I transfer a motorcycle license to Hawaii if the license recently expired?
A: “An expired out-of-state license is not transferable and requires the successful completion of: Hawaii general driver knowledge written test; Hawaii special motorcycle written test; (and) driver performance test (off-street skill test),” according to the CSD website.
Also, motorcycle endorsements on driver’s licenses issued by Alabama and U.S. territories are not transferable to Hawaii, even if those licenses are not expired, the website says.
Valid (unexpired) licenses from other states can be transferred. Step-by-step instructions are on the CSD website, at honolulu.gov/csd. Click on “Motorcycle or Moped License” in the menu under “Driver’s License, State ID & Real ID.”
Q: The past few years, Ala Moana Center has had a Fourth of July concert instead of sponsoring fireworks. Will they charge admission for the concert this year?
A: For premium tickets, yes, but general admission tickets will be free, according to the mall’s website. All tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be reserved in advance, according to the website, which as of Monday afternoon did not appear to have activated a reservation link. Look for more information at alamoanacenter.com/en/events/4th-of-july. Since the pandemic, the mall has not sponsored a fireworks show.
Q: Are the buses charging HOLO cards again?
A: Yes. HOLO card readers were operating normally as of Monday afternoon, after being taken offline June 15, Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services said in a news release. In the interim, bus passengers had shown their electronic fare cards to catch a ride, but no fares were deducted. TheBus system’s real-time GPS services also were restored Monday, among the last elements reactivated after a cyberattack against Oahu Transit Services disrupted its phone lines, websites, GPS information and HOLO card readers on TheBus and TheHandi-Van.
The HOLO card system itself was not breached, the city said, but OTS disconnected the card readers on buses and paratransit vans to prevent them from being infected by the cyberattack elsewhere in OTS systems. “The HOLO card server was not affected by the breach, and no registered HOLO card information was compromised,” Monday’s news release said.
“Riders are now able to tap their HOLO cards on TheBus to pay for fares. Cash fares are still accepted. GPS-based apps such as HEA, Transit App and Google Maps can now be used to track TheBus in real-time, to provide accurate on-time information for riders,” it said. DTS apologized for any inconvenience to riders. OTS is the nonprofit company that manages TheBus and TheHandi-Van for the city; this is not the first time it has been hacked.
Auwe
Why don’t more drivers know that when a traffic signal is flashing or broken, they must treat it as a four-way stop? — E.A.
Mahalo
On numerous occasions I meant to write of the many people who have helped me on my limited days shopping. Recently, a daughter and her mother lifted my heavy case of water and bags of groceries into my car trunk. Another time, a nice gentleman helped me to untangle a wagon from the shopping rack — all kinds of gestures without my asking. I am truly grateful to be a kupuna living in Hawaii. — E.A.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
