Bus riders fuming
about fare hikesThe city wants the fare increases
to restore and avert service cuts
Three Mililani Mauka women still upset over cuts made in June to their express bus route said they don't want to pay more in bus fares if it also means there will still be cuts in service.
"When this happened (in June) they cut bus routes, plus at that time they increased the bus fares already. And they're trying to do that again," said one of the women, who asked that her name not be used, as the trio was waiting for their express bus downtown.
For Romeo Valdez, waiting for the Kapolei express bus, raising bus fares vs. having bus drivers go on strike is like picking the lesser of two evils. He pointed out that under the city's bus fare increase proposal released yesterday, the monthly adult pass will go up by $10 within a few months.
"That's a lot," Valdez said. "That's ridiculous."
Valdez also said that paying a new, extra 25 cents for the express bus rides is also too high.
"That's for the common people; a lot of people cannot afford to drive a car. Working people like me would be affected more."
The fare proposals calls for monthly adult passes to rise to $37, the per-trip price for youth riders to increase to 85 cents, and the youth monthly pass will rise by $5, to $18.50.
Express bus riders will have to pay 25 cents a ride as part of a new differential fare. A new 25-cent fee for transfers, which are currently free, will also go into affect.
Senior fares will also change. The two-year $25 senior bus pass will be eliminated, but seniors with proper ID would be allowed to catch the bus at a lower per-ride fare of 25 cents vs. the current 75 cents. Buying the identification card each year, however, would cost $10.
Currently, the identification card is $6 and renewed every four years.
Bus fares last went up on July 1, when the adult single fare rose by 25 cents, to $1.75, and the monthly bus pass went up by $3, to $30.
Transportation Director Cheryl Soon said that the increase in fares is intended to restore cuts to bus service, including the Mililani Express, made in June and stave off cuts planned for this month.
The city is trying to offset a $6 million shortfall that includes $1.6 million in pension payments for the current fiscal year.
The increase in fares would raise revenues that could help avert an Aug. 26 strike by unionized employees of the Oahu Transit Services, which operates the bus system for the city.
The bus fares "would not provide new money that they could work with at the bargaining table. It could address the issues regarding layoffs," said Soon.
She said that 40 drivers could be laid off, or the company could institute four-day weeks for some of the drivers if more revenues are not raised.
She said that if the Council delays implementation of the fare increase, she will be forced to institute this month's service cuts and will not be able to restore the June cuts.
But bus riders are still worried.
Saresa Hisatake and Skye Barona said they catch the bus to and from high school. The increased cost to youth fares and the new transfer fee will have an impact on them.
"Holy jeez," Hisatake said when she learned of the increases.
The Council's transportation and budget committees will take up the bus fare bill Tuesday at 9 a.m.
