Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Median means no stop
across from school busQuestion: I know that when you're traveling behind a school bus and it stops with red lights flashing, you have to stop behind it and cannot pass. What if you're coming toward the school bus and there is a median strip between you and the bus -- do you still have to stop?
Answer: No, in that case you do not have to stop.
According to Hawaii Revised Statutes, Sec. 219C-95, you are required to stop for a stopped school bus with flashing lights if you are on the same highway or road in a residential area in the lane occupied by the bus, or in any lanes adjacent to it, regardless of what direction you are traveling.
Many drivers apparently do not realize that there is a minimum distance that should be kept between a stopped school bus and other vehicles in that situation.
The law says that, regardless of the direction of traffic in those lanes, drivers "shall stop" not less than 20 feet from the school bus and shall not proceed until the bus begins to move and all its visual signals are turned off.
You do not have to stop for a school bus if you are traveling in the opposite direction from the bus on a roadway that has been divided into two or more lanes by an "intervening space, a physical barrier or a clearly indicated dividing section."
Q: What options are available to an individual homeowner (in a townhouse complex) to repair and/or replace a "popcorn" ceiling that contains asbestos? The information I have states that only a contractor who is certified to do asbestos work is qualified to do repair/removal of the entire ceiling and it may cost thousands of dollars. Is there an alternative solution?
A: The short answer is that if you live in a multifamily residential complex with at least four units, you have to hire a licensed asbestos contractor to do the job.
But even if you live in a single-family residence, which generally is not regulated by law, although there are obvious restrictions, it is not recommended that you do the job yourself.
Asbestos is "not a health hazard unless you start stripping it, or pulverizing it or start making dust with it," said Tom Lileikis, an environmental health specialist specializing in asbestos with the state Department of Health's Noise, Radiation and Indoor Air Quality Branch.
Health officials do not recommend private individuals undertaking the task of removal or repair, Lileikis said, noting that the experts have intensive special training, as well as special protective equipment.
The Environmental Protection Agency regulates the removal of asbestos materials from commercial and public buildings, such as schools, as well as residential developments with four or more units.
"Generally, single-family homes that are privately owned are not regulated, unless (homeowners) hire someone to (remove the asbestos)," Lileikis said.
If someone is hired, then that person has to be a licensed asbestos contractor.
If you want further information, call Lileikis at 586-5800.
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