Senior bus-pass rush eases up
| • | Bus pass ID center to be in Wai'anae |
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
Attention, seniors: Come on down. Your bus passes are waiting. No more lines, hardly any waiting.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
City officials say the backlog of people rushing to obtain new senior or disabled bus passes has abated, and the process is a lot less painful than it was in the first weeks of the program.
The photo ID area at Blaisdell Center had eight camera operators ready yesterday to serve those who need new senior or disabled bus passes. But only a handful of people showed up, with most completing the process in less than 15 minutes.
At Blaisdell Center on Monday afternoon, for instance, eight camera operators were standing by to deal with a slow trickle of people wandering in to obtain their new passes or identification cards.
Many of those arriving were escorted through the process by attendants wearing TheBus aloha shirts or green jackets featuring a Blaisdell Center logo. Most were in and out of the building in less than 15 minutes.
The nearly somnambulant scene was in marked contrast to three weeks earlier when thousands of senior and disabled riders waited for up to six hours in long lines on the first day to receive their new passes, mandated under a fare restructuring passed by the City Council.
"Ten minutes — that's all it took," said Pearl City resident Dean Paracuellas, who had been turned away twice when he tried to get his disabled rider pass in the early days of the program.
Others, however, said the process still has some bugs to work out.
"There are no signs or anybody to ask where to go," said Edward Cromey, a part-time Honolulu resident. Once he found the right room, however, he had his pass in a matter of minutes and was heading back to his Waikiki hotel.
As of Monday, less than half of the more than 50,000 current senior and disabled bus pass holders had obtained new passes or identification.
That forced city officials to postpone a Saturday deadline for all riders to have the new passes or risk paying a full $2 per trip fare, said Cheryl Soon, city director of transportation services.
"There was no way we were going to get all the remaining people in time, and we couldn't just send 25,000 people down to TheBus headquarters at Middle Street for their passes," Soon said.
Soon said the city is continuing to issue about 1,700 new passes a day at various locations. Under the extension, senior citizens and disabled bus riders will be able to use their old passes until Nov. 15.
Processing of new bus passes will continue from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Blaisdell Center until then. In addition, Blaisdell will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on three upcoming Saturdays, Nov. 1 , 8 and 15.
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Bus pass ID center to be in Wai'anae
The city will process new bus passes and identification cards for senior citizens and disabled riders in Wai'anae today.
The center will operate in the Wai'anae Neighborhood Community Center conference room from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. as part of an effort to bring the ID center to different neighborhoods. The community center is at 85-670 Farrington Highway.
Tomorrow, the roving bus pass ID center will be in Kapolei.
Photo IDs and bus passes are also being processed at TheBus' main office, 811 Middle St., weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Existing senior (age 65 and older) and disabled bus passes are valid until Nov. 15.
Senior and disabled person passes cost $30 a year.
— Advertiser staff
