Question: During school days, after 2:35 p.m., I’ve noticed a city bus parked at the bus stop "killing time" near the Pensacola Street entrance to McKinley High School. Drivers who are exiting at that driveway can’t see traffic coming down Pensacola because of the bus parked at the corner of the driveway. Drivers need to inch forward a little at a time to enter traffic. Can’t the bus drivers wait farther up the street?

Answer: City transportation and bus officials thank you for bringing this to their attention.

After checking the bus stop location, "we are now making the bus operators aware that this is an active loading and unloading zone only," said Michelle Kennedy, spokeswoman for Oahu Transit Services, which operates TheBus system. "Buses waiting to go into service will park further up on Pensacola Street."

Kennedy said anyone with similar concerns or questions should contact the OTS customer service office at 848-4500, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, except holidays.

You can also contact OTS any time at www.thebus.org; click on the customer comments button on the navigation bar and fill out the online comment form.

"All information about how we’re doing makes it possible for us to continually improve our service," Kennedy said.

Question: I saw that the city bus company was running football express buses for the Pro Bowl. Isn’t there some rule/law that the city couldn’t offer football bus express routes and that’s why it discontinued this service for the University of Hawaii football games?

Answer: Federal Transit Administration rules do prohibit the city from operating charter bus service.

Just over two years ago, the agency amended its interpretation of "charter service" to include services like the UH Football Express, said Wayne Yoshioka, acting director of the city Department of Transportation Services.

In light of that, "At that time, the city offered the UH Football Express to private bus operators, and they have been providing this service ever since then," he said.

The Pro Bowl Express service also was offered to private bus companies to operate, but they declined.

Federal Transit rules allow the city to run the Pro Bowl Express as a service to the public if private bus operators opt to decline the opportunity, Yoshioka said.

Auwe

We went to the Pro Bowl practice on Saturday, Jan. 30, and walked from a nearby friend’s house. When we crossed the street and walked onto the stadium parking lot, the lady said, "One dollar." We said we were going to the Pro Bowl, not the swap meet, which was in full operation and probably having one of its best days. But we were still required to pay $1 to walk across the parking lot. So, next year when they advertise FREE, be sure to bring an extra dollar. — Pro Bowl Fan

The Pro Bowl event might have been free, but everyone who shows up at Aloha Stadium when the swap meet is on, even if they are not going to browse the stalls, has to pay the $1 admission fee.

The admission fee "is made very clear to the client" who chooses to hold an event at the stadium on swap meet days (Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays), a stadium spokesman said.

It was up to the Pro Bowl Ohana Day organizers to make people aware of this charge.

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