Question: Recently I lost my senior bus pass. It was a two-year pass. I sent an email to TheBus to find out whether I have to buy a new pass or whether they will reissue it because they should have a record that I had paid. But I didn’t get any response. Can you find out? Thank you.
Answer: It looks like you are going to have to buy a new bus pass.
We checked with Mike Formby, director of the city Department of Transportation Services, who said “it appears that there is no provision in ordinance by which a replacement bus pass can be obtained for a lost bus pass for less than the cost of a new bus pass.”
Revised Ordinances of Honolulu Chapter 13 covers public transit. Section 13-2.1 spells out the overall fare structure for TheBus, and Section 13-2.3 covers specifics for senior citizens, who are passengers 65 and older. The law makes clear that seniors may replace a lost ID card for a $10 processing fee, but there’s no mention of replacing the lost bus pass itself.
That’s not simply an oversight. Concerns about theft and fraud were raised when the Honolulu City Council considered a bill in 2007 that would have allowed seniors to replace a lost, destroyed or damaged one-year bus pass for a similarly low processing fee. That provision was struck before the bill passed.
Senior citizens pay $30 for an annual bus pass or $60 for a two-year pass, compared with $660 for an annual pass at the regular adult rate.
“Given the significant discount accorded seniors, the possibility of the fraudulent transfer of senior bus passes was discussed back in 2007 and may have been part of the rationale for not allowing replacement of the senior passes at less than” the regular senior rate, Formby said, citing information provided to him by staff working in the department at that time.
The transit system eventually plans to implement the use of “smart cards” and electronic fare readers. In such a system, lost transit passes easily can be canceled and the balance transferred to a new card, Formby said.
But for now TheBus relies on a manual system that has bus drivers giving a quick glance as passengers board the bus. Therefore, TheBus can’t guarantee that your old pass isn’t being used, and you’ll have to buy another.
Q: Are you allowed to leave your bulky items on other people’s property? … I had an item to leave out, and my resident manager told me I had to cross a busy street and leave it in front of another building … when we have a perfect spot to put our items right in front of our building.
A: No, generally you are supposed to leave your bulky-pickup items in front of your own residence. There are some exceptions for addresses on streets that municipal garbage trucks have trouble accessing, but your building does not fall in that category.
A spokesman for the city Department of Environmental Services said that Refuse Division personnel met with the resident manager at your building, and he informed them that all tenants/owners know that they are to place bulky items against a building wall facing the street — not across the street.
The building has a security camera near the elevator and outside the building, and any residents who place bulky items on noncollection days will be told to remove the items and store them inside their units.
“However, if they cannot identify person(s), the resident manager will personally take the bulky items to a convenience center or to the landfill,” Markus Owens, the department spokesman, said via email.
If you are not sure what day you should place items for bulky pickup, check opala.org, where you can search for pickup dates by street address.
Q: How long will those lane closures last on King Street?
A: About two months. Intermittent lane closures on South King Street from Alapai Street to University Avenue will occur as shower trees along the route are pruned, according to the city. A private contractor’s crew is trimming branches that hang over traffic lanes, affect buildings or create sightline concerns. The work began last week and will continue Mondays through Fridays between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Traffic lanes will not close for the duration, but only as necessary as work proceeds, according to the city. Motor vehicle lanes and the King Street Protected Bike Lane will be affected. Bike traffic will be detoured into open traffic lanes at times. Motorists are encouraged to take alternate routes if feasible.
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 email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
