Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: The city and county of Honolulu has deemed Kaneohe Bay Drive between Aikahi Park and the H-3 overpass road off limits to 7-ton vehicles. It appears truck drivers are still disregarding the 7-ton limit either to gain access to the H-3 freeway or as a shortcut to Kaneohe. The road width is very narrow with a posted speed limit of 25 mph (which appears to be disregarded, too). Large trucks over 7 tons using this road make it very hazardous for the schoolchildren or any person walking to and from the school, park or shopping center. What can be done to stop those truck drivers from using this road or citing those who disregard the posted signs? Bill removes weight limit
in Kaneohe Bay Drive areaAnswer: It might surprise you to learn that a bill introduced by Councilman Steve Holmes, passed by the full Council on Nov. 7, would allow those truckers to legally use that portion of Kaneohe Bay Drive.
The purpose is to allow heavy-loaded trucks to get onto the H-3 and get through to Mokapu Saddle Road, explained an aide to Holmes. The bill was expected to be signed into law by Harris, she said. He had 10 working days from Nov. 7 in which to do so but had not done signed it as of Friday.
Bill 73 amends the city's Traffic Code (Section 15-21.11), which used to read, "No person shall drive any truck in either direction over Kaneohe Bay Drive, between Mikiola Drive and the junction with Kalaheo Avenue when such truck with load weighs in excess of seven tons."
The new ordinance reads, "No person shall drive any truck in either direction over Kaneohe Bay Drive, between the intersection of Mokapu Saddle Road and Kaneohe Bay Drive and the junction of Kaneohe Bay Drive with Paku Place, when such truck with load weighs in excess of seven tons."
The old law was meant "to protect Kaneohe Bay Drive because it's so winding, narrow and dangerous," Holmes' aide said. It banned heavy trucks beginning at the intersection of Kalaheo Avenue, where Aikahi Shopping Center is, "but it didn't need to go that far," she said.
The bill "corrected the problem" by allowing truckers to use that stretch of road to access the H-3, but still banning them from using the rest of Kaneohe Bay Drive.
Meanwhile, Honolulu police Lt. John Thompson said heavy trucks using Kaneohe Bay Drive have "been an issue for a very long time."
He noted the city, in the past couple of months, posted new signs warning drivers of the weight limit, and "we are going to be checking and taking appropriate action if needed."
Q: Tuesday's column regarding paying a Hawaii use tax on a car an individual purchased, tax-free, in Oregon and brought to Hawaii didn't say how recent a car purchase has to be to be subject to the tax. If the car is used on the mainland X number of months or has X number of miles, will it be considered a used car and no tax applies?
A: The landed value of a car imported into Hawaii may be reduced by a depreciation allowance for the normal use of the car, said state Department of Taxation spokeswoman Annette Yamanuha.
You'll need to use a worksheet and depreciation chart (Form G-26, Use Tax Return) to compute the use tax in that case.
"Based on that chart, a car used 60 months (five years) or more after being purchased will not be subject to the use tax when imported into Hawaii," Yamanuha said.
She pointed out that no depreciation is allowed for a car brought into Hawaii within 90 days of the date of purchase, and the 90 days does not include any shipping time or any time the car was in storage prior to being shipped to Hawaii. For more information, call 587-4242 or toll-free, 800-222-3229.
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Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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