CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Bus riders waited in long lines yesterday at the Blaisdell Center for a chance to buy bus passes. Many waited for hours, and many were turned away because of the huge turnout.
Bus riders show up
en masse for passesMore than a thousand
people are turned away
by city officials
Guy Cricchio and his wife, Marge, took an hour bus trip from their Hawaii Kai home to Neal Blaisdell Center yesterday to get their new senior annual bus passes.
Instead of bus passes, the Cricchios came away with application forms from a city official and instructions to make the trip again today.
The Cricchios and other disgruntled senior citizens and disabled riders were turned away yesterday after about 3,000 people showed up for new passes; city officials said they could handle only 2,000.
"It's very unprofessional," said Guy Cricchio, 74. "Somebody in charge really goofed up ... They created a confusion."
A total of 1,650 people received new bus passes at the Blaisdell Center while 180 people got their new passes at the Middle Street bus yard.
Yesterday was the first day new passes and photo identification cards were sold. The city will continue to process bus passes at the Blaisdell Center through Friday, as well as from Oct. 14 to 17 and from Oct. 21 to Oct. 24. Other locations will be available to riders starting next week.
City Transportation Director Cheryl Soon said officials will process only 1,300 people today -- those who were given application forms and were turned away yesterday. Other bus riders can go to the Middle Street bus yard or wait until later in the week.
"There's no need to rush down to the processing centers," said Soon, adding that current passes for senior citizens and disabled riders will be honored until Nov. 1.
She also noted that current bus passes for seniors and disabled riders can be used as identification cards until their expiration date, allowing riders to board the bus for $1. Riders can also show their Medicare cards as an identification card.
By 9:30 a.m. yesterday, many senior citizens and disabled riders were told they wouldn't be able to get their passes yesterday.
Soon said they were unable to handle the volume of people who showed up yesterday because of the time it takes to process new passes.
Soon said she spoke to many bus riders waiting to receive their passes.
"We are listening to people. We're trying to make this as tolerable as possible and to process them quickly," she said.
Many people said they believed they would be able to obtain their new passes as long as they showed up by 3 p.m. Others complained about the long line, the wait of between three and four hours and about the limited number of locations available the first day passes were being sold.
"They have not got this situated," said Kakaako resident Don Kambel. "This is all a mess."
Soon said many riders wanted to get the chore out of the way.
"The majority of the people knew that they had a whole month to get their new passes. They wanted to have it over and done with," said Soon. "They anticipated long lines. It was their own way to get ahead of the pack."
A long line of bus riders snaked on the walkway between the center's arena and exhibition hall.
"I'm a little disappointed, but it's something I have to put up with," said Ala Moana resident George Emoto, a kidney dialysis patient who was one of the bus riders turned away from the city.
Some senior bus riders said they understood the city was doing the best it could.
Kailua resident Sam Perri, 74, questioned why the city didn't open up other locations on the first day passes were being sold.
"They had a month to think about it," Perri said. "They're doing the best they can under the circumstances."
Waikiki resident Kathleen Jayne echoed Perri's sentiment.
"There should have been several locations so there won't be a massive turnout," said Jayne. "I just hope we don't have to do this again next year."
Senior and disabled passengers can purchase a $30 annual bus pass that includes a photo of the purchaser, a $5 monthly pass to be used with a $10 photo identification card, or pay a reduced rate of $1 a ride using the $10 identification card. Without the identification card, a passenger pays $2 a ride.
Some bus riders said they didn't realize they had to wait even longer after they entered the processing room. Riders had their forms reviewed, paid for their passes and entered a separate room to wait for their photos to be taken. Five cameras were used at the Blaisdell Center while one camera was available at the Middle Street facility.
"It's a madhouse. They're all anxious to get their passes," said photo processor Cora Pajela.
Soon said she requested five additional cameras to be used at the Blaisdell Center on Thursday and Friday and from Oct. 14 to Oct. 17.
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Ridership recovering
City buses recovered ridership last week that was lost during the 32-day bus strike, according to City Transportation Director Cheryl Soon."We still have a lot of climbing to do from the pre-strike levels," said Soon.
The city offered free bus rides to passengers Monday through Friday last week to entice riders back to the buses. The following daily ridership estimates are:
>> Monday: 160,000New bus fares took effect over the weekend, with about 106,000 riders on Saturday and 87,000 riders on Sunday. Soon said the ridership figures over the weekend dropped about 23 percent compared with their normal weekend figures.
>> Tuesday: 222,000
>> Wednesday: 240,000
>> Thursday: 220,000
>> Friday: 238,000
Star-Bulletin staff
