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Kokua Line
Question: Why are Oahu residents still paying a higher fee for a vehicle safety inspection when the vehicle's windows have been tinted? If I remember correctly, the higher inspection fee was implemented to allow official safety inspection stations to recoup the cost of light meters, which were mandatory for all stations at the time the tint law took effect. It's been at least 10-plus years since then, so I'm certain all these stations have recouped their purchase cost and made a huge profit on top of that. Cost for a regular non-tinted vehicle is about $15 while it's about $20 for a tinted vehicle. If a shop decides to do such inspections, the cost of the tint meters should not be paid for by the public, but should be part of its cost of doing that type of business. The city should consider implementing a fair one-price inspection fee for all vehicles, whether they are tinted or not! Window-tint inspection
fees are fair to allAnswer: As far as the state is concerned, the $5 charge to measure tinted windows is a fair policy, both to the stations who do the testing and for people who don't have tinted vehicle windows.
John Lovstedt, the state Department of Transportation's highway safety manager, said the statewide law requiring that tinted windows be measured has a twofold purpose: Allow a profit for those providing the service and to offset the costs associated with buying and maintaining a meter.
"It was never the intent of the rules" to allow a charge only until the cost of buying a meter was recovered, he said. There are ongoing costs for repair and calibration, beyond the initial purchase price, he said.
Lovstedt noted the main reason most stations have tint meters "is to generate a profit.
"The cost of having tint meters is the cost of building a business," he said. "And stations look to recoup costs like any other store that does business."
Also, he said it is erroneous to refer to the "public" as paying for the meters.
"The only people who pay for tint inspections are those with tinted windows," he said. "So, if you have a one-price-fits-all policy, it would be unfair to vehicle owners who don't have tints. They would end up subsidizing the cost for those with tints."
Q: The owners of a house on Pauoa Road leave their trash container on the road all the time. They never take it in. It is not even on the sidewalk. This poses a danger to traffic. Isn't there a rule that it has to be on the sidewalk and it has to be taken in on non-pickup days? I don't know who to call.
A: Call the refuse collection yard in the appropriate district, in your case, the Honolulu yard at 523-4424 (listed on Page 34 of the government pages in the Oahu telephone directory).
The city ordinance specifies that the earliest trash containers should be put out is the evening before pickup day, said David Shiraishi, the city's refuse collection administrator. "They should be removed the day of the collection."
However, exceptions are granted in "hardship cases," he said. "In those cases, we won't request the owner to remove the (trash) cart from public property."
An example would be an elderly homeowner whose home is on a hill, Shiraishi said.
Mahalo
To Valerie, a Hickam Air Force Base resident from South Carolina, who kindly drove my sons and me to the base golf course for my sons' tournament. We were attempting to walk there with all the equipment, as our car was not allowed on base, when Valerie came to the rescue. You truly have the aloha spirit and we will never forget your kindness. -- P. Tong
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