Kokua Line
By June Watanabe
Friday, March 26, 1999
Kokua Line
Question: Who has the taxi contract at Honolulu Airport? How did they win and for how long? How many companies bid on it? SIDA chosen for
airport taxi contractAnswer: The state Department of Transportation solicited proposals for the airport "taxi management concession contract" last year.
A selection committee chose SIDA of Hawaii over three other bidders, said DOT spokeswoman Marilyn Kali. SIDA was awarded a four-year contract in December, beginning Feb. 1.
It will pay the state a minimum of $1,524,000 over the four-year period.
SIDA had been running the taxi system on a month-to-month basis since February 1996, when the contract with a company called OTM was not renewed because "they did not meet their agreements" with the state, Kali said.
SIDA had control of taxi operations at the airport for 31 years, until OTM took over in 1994 after the state went to the "open taxi system."
Now, any taxi driver - no matter the affiliation - who meets standards specified in the state contract can pick up fares at the airport, Kali said.
Although the city sets taxi rates, the contract specifies how much SIDA can charge each driver.
"Working with us, (SIDA) sets the rules for taxis that want to work from the airport," Kali said.
"They basically license them and run a dispatch for them _ giving out (passenger) loads by the order the taxis arrive," etc.
Q: I am incensed at the excessive amount of money being made by people who supervised the recount of the election - up to $150 a day. How were they chosen? A: It may help to ease your anger to know that the state did not pay for any part of the recount - the whole cost was carried by Election Systems & Software, whose electronic vote-counting machines were the source of last November's election controversy.
The cost is expected to be about $200,000, said state Office of Elections spokeswoman Linda Aragon.
The "supervisors" were actually observers, 18 of them, who were paid a stipend of $150 a day. Election Systems & Software also paid for the air travel and hotel expenses for the seven neighbor island observers, Aragon said.
"Many worked from 7:45 a.m. until 9 p.m." during the recount process, which lasted from March 6 to 13, Aragon said. "During an actual election, the list of observers is much longer and their pay is about $95 for the day."
Most observers had participated in the elections in their respective county centers, observed ballot processing or participated in some other area of the 1998 elections, Aragon said.
Thieves cut chains securing two picnic tables, then made off with the tables, belonging to the Hui Nalo canoe club, from Maunaloa Bay Beach Park last week. Picnic tables sought
The non-profit club is hoping someone can donate a table or two. Page head coach Reney, 288-3564.
To the employee or whoever found my fanny pack in a cart at Sam's Club recently. I drove all the way home to Makakilo before discovering it was missing. Mahalo
When I called Sam's Club, they said somebody had turned it in. Everything was intact. -- Shane K.
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com
