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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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City cannot explain failed trash pickup
Question: As I write this, it has been three weeks and one day since our bulky items were supposed to be collected. We live on Waialae Iki Ridge. Many houses near me have bulky items that have been sitting on the curb for more than three weeks. I have had several conversations with the refuse supervisor, who said he doesn't know why our items have not been picked up and does not know when they might be. Possibly one business day before our next scheduled collection day.
This is not acceptable. If the city is unable to pick up trash on the assigned day, could they let me know when it can, so I can inform our neighbors so that our community doesn't look trashy for weeks on end?
Answer: Something got lost in the communication -- and obviously left behind in the last collection period.
But although records indicate crews did make the rounds of Waialae Iki Ridge in April, at this point it could not be determined what happened in your area, said David Shiraishi, city refuse collection administrator.
He said that by the time your concerns were received, it was almost time to service your neighborhood again.
Shiraishi also explained last week that the supervisor was hesitant to give out an exact date when your trash was going to be picked up "because of variables, such as the amount of bulky items that may be out for collection this week and next week."
As of Thursday, he said crews are expected to be in your neighborhood tomorrow.
Although bulky-item pickup crews do fall behind schedule "at times," they have never been, and are not, three weeks behind schedule, Shiraishi said.
"When we do fall behind schedule, we catch up by sending out more crews and sometimes even hiring a private contractor as the last resort if we cannot get enough crews," he said. "We are presently one day behind schedule."
Q: Are school buses allowed to drive on the shoulder lanes if traffic is backed up?
A: There is only one specific area where school buses are allowed to go onto the shoulder lane, and that is where the H-1 freeway viaduct, eastbound, merges onto Moanalua Highway, said Capt. Frank Fujii, spokesman for the Honolulu Police Department.
"Otherwise, no, buses cannot go into shoulder lanes," he said, unless specified by signs or in an emergency situation, directed by a law enforcement officer or by state highway officials, he said.
If you see this happening, Fujii advised getting the license number and other details and passing the information on to HPD.
Mahalo
To the person who found and turned in my dad's rolling bag full of his paintings on May 7 at the Monsarrat Avenue zoo exhibit. My dad was extremely distraught, then very, very happy to get them back. Thank you very much for making an 86-year-old artist's day. -- Grateful Daughter
Got a question or complaint? Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered. E-mail to
kokualine@starbulletin.com.
See also: Useful phone numbers