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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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Parking ticket should be contested
Question: I was ticketed while parking in a loading zone at Pauahi and Smith streets, next to Char Hung Sut. The sign says "commercial permit only parking 7 a.m. to 4 p.m." I was parked at 8 p.m. The police officer who ticketed me said you need a commercial permit at all times to park in that loading zone. If so, why would they state the hours "7 a.m. to 4 p.m."? I called the city and they said they know about this "gray" area. If that's the case, why don't they change the sign to say "commercial permit only 24 hours"? Can you clarify this?
Answer: On the face of it, you should not have been ticketed and should contest the citation.
According to the city Department of Transportation Services, parking by the public is permitted between 4 p.m. and 7 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays, and all day Sunday.
That would seem obvious by the sign stating that only commercial vehicles with permits are allowed to park between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., but apparently not.
"Although we would like to include on the sign all of the verbiage in the city Traffic Code for a freight loading zone, it is difficult to do so within the borders of the sign," said Melvin Kaku, director of Transportation Services.
However, the department will "look into revising the sign to clarify the use permitted," he said.
Kaku explained that curb freight loading zones are set up when there are no off-street areas for the loading and unloading of goods and people, and where curb parking is permitted.
In your case, not knowing the exact circumstances, Kaku said that anyone who believes they were wrongly or unfairly cited has the option to appeal the citation in District Court.
Auwe
To the city for scheduling a recycling event at the Blaisdell Center on the same day as the Senior Fair. The parking lot was full by 9 a.m., creating havoc for groups of senior entertainers and senior citizens wishing to attend the fair. I hope they show more consideration in the future. -- No Name
You didn't specify a day, but Suzanne Jones, the city's recycling coordinator, said, "We noted the same parking issue on Friday."
However, she said, "It was not due to the recycling fair."
The Hawaii Seniors' Fair was held Friday-Sunday, Sept. 22-24, while the Discover Recycling Fair was held Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 21-23.
On Thursday and Friday, "just about all" those attending the recycling fair were students and teachers, brought to the Blaisdell on city-sponsored buses, Jones said.
"So most of the parking was taken by those attending the senior fair. If an event other than the recycling fair were held, there may have been a greater demand for parking," Jones said.
As it was, "We observed some very good synergy between the two events, and would want to make it even easier next year for the seniors to stroll over to the recycling fair."
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.
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