Improvements to the county’s Hele-on bus system that were promised when fares were hiked in mid-2013 are finally taking shape, with new vehicles and more mechanics helping reduce downtime and late buses. ADVERTISING Improvements to the county’s Hele-on bus system
Improvements to the county’s Hele-on bus system that were promised when fares were hiked in mid-2013 are finally taking shape, with new vehicles and more mechanics helping reduce downtime and late buses.
Two new mechanics began work this past summer, bringing the total mechanics to five, said Mass Transit Administrator Tiffany Kai.
“We had some challenges in filling those positions,” Kai said earlier this week. “But we are at capacity now. Things are getting better.”
Three new buses arrived last month, and mechanics just finished their training on them, she said. The buses, 2014 ElDorado XHF Transit Motor Coach vehicles, have 41 passenger seats and are wheelchair accessible. They cost $450,282 each and were purchased with federal funds.
Currently, the new blue buses are operating only on Hilo and Pahoa routes.
Hawaii County also received five used buses from Honolulu’s TheBus public transit system. Those faded yellow buses, some with “TheBus” logos still visible, were given to Hawaii County without charge.
No buses have been taken out of servce. The extra buses are being used as backup vehicles, Kai said.
“The additional buses will allow us to have a larger spare bus ratio,” she said.
Fares were increased in 2013 by $1 per one-way trip, doubling the rate for regular riders to $2 and ending free rides for students, seniors and people with disabilities. It also raised the age for the senior discount from 55 to 60.
The fare increases were projected to bring in an additional $617,500 for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
County number crunchers this year forecast $850,000 in fare revenue for Mass Transit’s $4.4 million budget for the fiscal year that started July 1.
Although some bus riders still are grumbling about broken buses and late pickups, Kai said she’s not asking for additional mechanics for the next budget year. Several people who have complained about the bus system declined to have their names used, for fear of retribution.
One reader sent a photo of a dangling metal panel he said is in an area where passengers could walk into it and get hurt. He said it hadn’t been fixed in a month. Another bus had a problem with the door so it had to be manually forced open, he said.
Kai said drivers do daily inspections. Minor damage is held until the bus comes in for its regular service. For Kona buses, that is twice weekly, she said.
“It’s an aging fleet … we were able to catch up on the larger repairs and also got three brand new buses,” Kai said. “We are definitely getting better. … We strive to be perfect. Unfortunately, we don’t make it, but we do our best.”
Email Nancy Cook Lauer at ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com.
