BUSINESS BRIEFS
Trolley schedule, stops change

Advertiser Staff

Waikiki Trolley has changed the schedule and destination of a tour that stops in Chinatown from one trolley every half hour to once every 50 minutes.

The service, which caters mainly to Japanese visitors, also now stops at O'ahu Market on King Street instead of Maunakea Market Place on Maunakea Street.

The changes were made April 1 and reflect a drop in business tied to the Iraq war and concerns about severe acute respiratory syndrome, said Bill Haole, quality operations officer for the trolley service.

"SARS has hurt us, too, in that our Japanese clients are not traveling," he said.

Haole said Waikiki Trolley hopes to increase the frequency of stops to once every half-hour by June.

He said the trolley now stops at O'ahu Market instead of Maunakea Market Place in order to provide visitors with a more historic, open-air shopping experience.

Scam uses bureau's name

A new phone scam is trying to grab Hawaii residents' attention with an impressive credential — the Better Business Bureau seal of approval.

Officials at the bureau's Hawai'i office issued a warning yesterday that callers saying they're affiliated with the agency are selling financial advisement and estate planning services.

"It's a new stretch of nerve," said Anne Deschene, president of the bureau in Hawai'i.