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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Dumpsters must be
kept off the streetQuestion: Can Dumpsters be left out on the street? I noticed some being left out on Queen Emma Street during the summer, in the right lane where there is parking.
Answer: Large trash containers are not supposed to be left on the street without a permit.
We received a separate complaint about a big construction trash container being left on Hind Iuka Drive in Aina Haina, but that apparently was resolved by the Mayor's Office after the contractor put up a warning barricade with blinking lights.
In the case you cite, the owner of the container was given a warning "to make them aware of the law," said Sgt. Clyde Yamashiro, of the Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division.
Section 9-1.4 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu covers the "preparation and placement of refuse and recyclable materials by owner."
The pertinent subsection in this case, Yamashiro said, says, "Three cubic yard containers designed for mechanical handling, if used, shall not be placed within the sidewalk area, but shall be placed within the property to be served in locations directly accessible to the pickup forks of the collection truck."
Since the law says it has to be placed within the property, although the roadway is not mentioned, the interpretation is that the rubbish containers can't be left on the road, either, Yamashiro said.
He also pointed out that the refuse collector also has some responsibility, noting that Section 9-2.3 of the refuse collection law states, "The licensee shall not violate any provisions contained herein or in any other ordinance relating to the collection and disposal of refuse within the city."
If the collector can't get to the container on the property, the container may have to be brought out to the roadway, but in that case it should be done in such a way "without causing unnecessary delay or disturbance to the roadway," Yamashiro said.
Q: I have a neighbor who consistently drives her vehicle with an 18-month-old child unrestrained in the front seat or on the lap of one of her older children. Is there a number I can call to report this behavior?
A: You can call the Keiki Car Seat Hotline at 538-3334 (on Oahu) or 800-868-7300 (neighbor islands).
You are asked to provide a license number, vehicle description and location, date and time you observed a child under the age of 4 riding unrestrained in a moving vehicle.
A letter then will be sent to the vehicle's owner reminding him/her of the law.
Hawaii's Child Passenger Restraint Law requires all children under 4 to be secured in a child safety seat unless the vehicle is an emergency, mass transit or commercial vehicle. If cited by a police officer, a driver faces a fine between $100 and $500; required attendance at a maximum four-hour safety class; a $50 driver education fee; and a $10 surcharge for a neurotrauma special fund.
Auwe
Because of the bus strike, more people are walking. Drivers, please be more careful of pedestrians when driving. -- No Name
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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.
E-mail to kokualine@starbulletin.com
