Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: I drive home between 3:45 and 4:15 p.m., Monday-Friday, on Moanalua Highway, beginning from Aloha Stadium, over Red Hill toward Diamond Head. Every day, I notice cars with only one driver in the HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lane, which clearly states two or more passengers between 3:30 and 6 p.m., Monday-Friday. These drivers must be literate, or else they shouldn't be driving. But their blatant disregard for the law infuriates me. Over the past eight years that I've driven over the same road at the same time, there never has been a police officer monitoring this section. So I'm assuming these drivers, like me, know that it's safe to disregard the law. Can the state or whoever has jurisdiction remove the unnecessary regulation -- the HOV sign -- or monitor and enforce the law immediately and daily? Whose jurisdiction is this? I intend to write that department a letter until this problem is corrected. HPD enforces
restrictions on lanes
for car-poolersAnswer: The state Department of Transportation instituted the HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes and Zipper Lane to encourage carpooling.
Despite that, transportation spokeswoman Marilyn Kali said, "We do not have any data on its use," at least regarding the HOV lane on Moanalua Highway. She added that enforcement with both the HOV and Zipper Lane "is always a problem."
Enforcement of the restricted-use lanes rests with the Honolulu Police Department, and "we've been enforcing it," according to police Capt. Bryan Wauke. Although that's not possible every day, "we have been stepping up enforcement."
Wauke wasn't able to give a breakdown on particular stretches of road, but gave us these total citation figures:
In 1999, 70 citations were issued for Zipper lane violations, and 221 for HOV. In 2000, there were 111 Zipper Lane citations and 188 HOV. In 2001, through Sept. 30, 193 Zipper Lane citations were issued and 240 HOV.
The penalty for a Zipper Lane violation is a $127 fine and a $77 fine for an HOV violation.
Q: I will be traveling to the neighbor islands for Christmas and was wondering, if I carry Christmas presents, will I have to unwrap them to get through security? What advice do airport officials have for us?
A: The best thing is not to wrap any presents until you arrive at your destination, because "we never know which one will be opened," said Joe Guyton, airlines security coordinator at Honolulu Airport. His advice: "Take your wraps with you."
He also suggests just sending the gifts through with your baggage and, again, not wrapping them because searches are made of checked baggage "randomly and continuously." In those cases, Guyton said, a wrapped present in a suitcase also may be opened.
Auwe
On Kamehameha Highway Monday morning last week, we found ourselves as usual in a long line of traffic going from Kaaawa to Kaneohe. At the back of the line, a police vehicle was tailgating much too closely. If it were reversed, a ticket could well have resulted. We moved out of the way in Kahaluu, but the police vehicle was then right on the back bumper of another car all the way to Haiku Road, where that car pulled into another lane. The police vehicle then sped to the signal at Kahuhipa and when it turned red, without signaling, it pulled in, then out, then in to the left-turn lane at Kahuhipa. It was a bad example and very unsafe on a road that has more than its share of accidents. -- Kam Highway commuters(We passed the license number on to HPD, which said it would look into your complaint.)
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.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com