Council will vote
on bus fare hikesMayor Harris' plan will be
considered by the body on Sept. 24
The City Council will vote on Mayor Jeremy Harris' proposal to raise bus fares after failing to agree on a plan of its own yesterday.
"For some of us, this is the first time that we ... tried to work together as a team and come up with something that tries to please everybody, but we know we learned that we can't," Council Transportation Chairman Nestor Garcia said.
The Council's Transportation and Budget committees voted to move the mayor's fare proposal to the full Council for final approval on Sept. 24, but even that plan will likely be tweaked before the vote.
The Council must approve fare hikes that will generate an additional $6.8 million in revenues to avoid cutting bus service and laying off bus drivers.
Service cuts and layoffs are key issues in the negotiations between Oahu Transit Services Inc., the private company that runs the bus for the city, and Local 996 of the Hawaii Teamsters Union, which represents 1,336 striking workers.
With several Council members unhappy with Harris' plan, several alternatives were proposed, including one by Garcia and Budget Chairman Ann Kobayashi and another by Councilmembers Barbara Marshall and Donovan Dela Cruz. But it was clear yesterday that neither plan would raise enough money to reach the $6.8 million target. Both plans also failed to get majority support.
"I know now what Pandora felt like opening her box," Councilman Charles Djou said.
The members of the committees eventually voted 6-2 in support of sending Harris' plan to the floor of the Council. Marshall and Dela Cruz voted against the proposal.
The plan moved to the full Council calls for adult monthly passes to increase to $37 from $30, youths to pay 85 cents a trip vs. 75 cents and the youth monthly pass to increase by $5 to $18.50.
Express bus riders would have to pay 25 cents more a ride, and transfers, which are now free, would cost 25 cents.
Seniors with proper ID but without the senior pass 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 is renewed every four years.
"It shows me one thing, though: that our people are taking this very seriously; they continue to be engaged," Garcia said yesterday. "But it was important to push out something today for further discussion."
Garcia said councilmembers are struggling with raising $6.8 million while also addressing concerns of different groups -- such as senior citizens -- who will have to pay more.
"This is obviously our first real test under severe game conditions. We have the strike hovering just behind us," Garcia said. "The bottom line for me today was ... I did not want to not pass out anything today because that would send out all kinds of signals not just to the councilmembers, but the bus riders and the people at the negotiating table."
