GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@ STARBULLETIN.COM
Riders boarded a Waikiki-bound bus at the Ala Moana Center bus stop last night. Honolulu bus stops were once again filled with evening commuters after employees with Oahu Transit Services, which operates TheBus, settled their strike over the weekend.
Riders welcome city bus
with open arms
City bus operations ran smoothly yesterday after bus workers returned to work for the first time since a strike started Aug. 26.
Oahu Transit Services spokesman Ken Stanley said 399 city buses resumed service to all routes yesterday. Though a ridership count was not immediately available, Stanley said some buses experienced a light ridership while others experienced a heavier ridership.
Because the city fears ridership will drop because of the strike, it is offering free bus rides through Friday.
On Saturday, members of Local 996 of the Teamsters and Allied Workers voted 948-109 to ratify a five-year contract with OTS that includes a 50-cent-an-hour wage increase in the fourth year and a 65-cent increase in the fifth year. Pension contributions will increase 20 cents an hour in each of the last three years of the contract.
OTS is the private company that runs the bus system for the city.
Stanley said mechanical problems with buses were normal yesterday.
Michael Mone, who drives the busy No. 1 Kalihi Transit Station route, said city bus drivers were bracing for angry riders yesterday, but were pleasantly surprised.
"I haven't had one negative customer yet," Mone said. Comments ranged from, "'Welcome back, good to see you, happy to see you,' that kind of stuff," Mone said.
Sandy Kealoha, who drives the No. 53 Pacific Palisades route, said her riders expressed similar sentiments.
"Our regular passengers miss us," she said.
Riders got back to routines they had before the strike by 1,336 bus employees.
Tetsuo Tatsuda said he is happy to be riding the bus again. Tatsuda, 78, said he was forced to take a taxi from his home in Kakaako to Ala Moana Center to do his shopping during the strike. And he had to limit his trips to twice a week. He said he used to take the bus to the center every day.
Andy Lee said he had to drive his car to school at Honolulu Community College. But now that the strike is over, Lee said he is willing to pay more for a monthly bus pass rather than drive his car to school from his home in Makiki.
To head off union objections to potential layoffs and service cuts, the City Council boosted fares to raise $6.8 million.
Kapiolani Community College student Melissa Lum said she thinks the fare increase is reasonable.
"I think it's OK," she said.
Star-Bulletin reporters Rosemarie Bernardo, Russ Lynch and Nelson Daranciang contributed to this report.
