Question: How can one determine whether a "No Left Turn" sign, located across Wailua Street from our Hawaii Kai condominium, is official? There is debate about whether the sign was posted by the city and subject to law enforcement or by the condo association on private property without permission from the city.

Answer: The "No Left Turn" sign is an "official" city sign installed by the developer of the Peninsula.

Drivers entering or leaving the Peninsula "are permitted only to turn right into, and right out of, their driveway," said Wayne Yoshioka, director of the city Department of Transportation Services.

That’s because vehicles traveling Diamond Head on Wailua Street have limited visibility of the driveway (situated Koko Head of a bridge), he said. "Therefore, it was judged that left turns out of the driveway should not be allowed due to traffic safety reasons."

Yoshioka said the sign posting "is not unusual," with developers often required to provide "necessary traffic mitigation."

However, he said it was not noticed during inspection that the sign apparently is on private property. His department will request that it be remounted within the city right of way.

"Until then, DTS urges the public to continue to obey the prohibition on making left turns from the makai Peninsula driveway onto Wailua Street," Yoshioka said.

Question: It now takes three to four times as long on hold to reach a support specialist at Oceanic Cable. Previously I waited five to 10 minutes. Has Oceanic downsized? The Public Utilities Commission has call response requirements for Hawaiian Telcom (see the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Dec/04/bz/FP612040309.html). Are there similar requirements for Oceanic?

Answer: While the PUC does continue to require Hawaiian Telcom to answer 85 percent of its calls with a live voice within 20 seconds, there is no such state requirement for cable companies.

However, "Oceanic is very concerned regarding the added activity on our phones" and has been working to hire additional staff, said Sandy Davis, director of customer care.

That led to the Oceanic Career Fair a few weeks ago and the planned addition of 40 employees, she said.

Applicants are now going through the hiring process and training sessions.

"Our average wait time is higher than we want it to be," Davis acknowledged. "We are working to add the additional staff to bring down the wait time and deliver the best level of customer support."

Oceanic has an automated system with which you can leave your name and number and still keep your place in line. It is active from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Cable Television Division regulates cable franchises in the state but does not have a call-back time requirement.

How quickly a customer is serviced or called back depends on the time of day and the call volume, but this is "something that we continuously discuss with Oceanic," said cable Administrator Clyde Sonobe.

AUWE

To a middle-age male driving a station wagon Diamond Head on Queen Street, near the Supreme Court Building, recently. He did not slow down or stop for an elderly woman in a crosswalk. Slow down and watch out for pedestrians, especially our seniors! — Concerned Citizen

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Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or e-mail kokualine@staradvertiser.com.