The trucking and transportation industry lobbied for the change, saying it will dramatically increase their pool of applicants, but the state Department of Transportation opposes it out of concerns for safety.

"I wouldn't trust being in the same bus with a driver that's 18," said Liz Sene, 40, as she took a break from her job driving a 30-passenger bus for Enoa Tours. "It's just too young."

Transportation companies say they can address the safety issue through training and gradually moving the drivers from smaller to larger vehicles. The proposed law would also prevent those younger than 21 from transporting school children, hazardous materials or driving tractor-trailers.

"There are many rules in place to ensure all drivers are safe ... regardless of age," said Gareth Sakakida, managing director of the Hawaii Transportation Association, in his written testimony on the bill.

Meanwhile, bus and trucking companies are hurting for employees.

"We know motor carriers who have trucks or buses sitting because they can't get drivers," Sakakida said.

Polynesian Hospitality, which provides charter tours and shuttle service, is only using 28 of its 42 motor coaches on O'ahu, said secretary-treasurer Lawson Teshima.

Roberts Hawaii, the state's largest private tour and school bus company, has been grappling with a shortage of drivers the last several years. Last year, for the first time, it began offering signing bonuses of up to $3,000 to attract licensed bus drivers.

Lowering the minimum age would open the pool of applicants who can be trained in-house and create a "tremendous breakthrough in the numbers of people that will be considering the transportation industry as a career," said Troy Iwamoto, president of Roberts Hawaii.

Higher insurance rates are not a concern, added Roberts Hawaii spokeswoman Sam Shenkus. It may be an issue for a company with a smaller pool of drivers, she said. But she again emphasized that younger drivers won't be driving large passenger vehicles immediately. "It's not like we give them a uniform and tell them go drive something," she said. "They're supervised, trained and monitored."

Companies typically put new drivers through extensive training and start them on smaller vehicles, said Sakakida.

Most states allow it

Sakakida said at least 38 other states have an 18-year-old age minimum for intrastate commercial drivers. Federal policy allows for 18-year-old intrastate commercial drivers, he said.

"The driver population has gone down quite a bit, and with the economy on the rise nationwide, you're going to have a lot more product to move. You're going to have more visitors coming to Hawai'i, so there's more people to move, and in order to move the products and people, you need drivers," he said.

"When you go and talk to high school seniors, they're not interested in waiting around for three years to enter an industry," he said. "They want something now, so we lose that pool right off the bat. At least now this will give us an opportunity to at least begin the training process for those who are 18."

State transportation officials maintain that people under 21 are too young to drive commercial vehicles. In its written testimony to lawmakers, the Department of Transportation said, "The DOT must oppose any measure that would make it easier for younger drivers to operate larger vehicles. ... It is important that young drivers get sufficient experience to make them better drivers and the roads safer for everyone."

Sakakida said if motor carriers are not comfortable with a driver's ability and experience, they won't allow him or her to operate their vehicles.

Regardless of the size of the vehicle, there's intense and specific training on the job covering areas including ordinances, laws, parking areas and security protocols, said Iwamoto of Roberts Hawaii. New drivers start with vans carrying up to 14 passengers — which don't require a commercial drivers' license — progress to a minibus and then to a bus. Depending on the individual's confidence and competence level, that process can take six months to three years, he said.

Tougher teen rules

The bill lowering the age for commercial licenses is moving forward at the same time that lawmakers are talking about toughening driving rules for teenagers. That bill, which is being discussed in conference committee, would establish a three-stage graduated driver licensing program for minors that restricts the number of passengers, as well as the hours of operation, for drivers with "provisional" licenses.

"We've got enough problems as it is with them (teenage drivers)," said Andy Russell, a 35-year-old Delta Airlines aircraft mechanic as he waited for a city bus yesterday. "We've got to make sure they're responsible and accountable for their activities."

Winifred Merrill, an 81-year-old housewife from Salt Lake, watched a Roberts Hawaii Tours bus proceed down Ala Moana Boulevard and couldn't imagine her teenage grandsons handling so much machinery and being responsible for so many people.

"I don't want to get on that bus with an 18-year-old driving," Merrill said. "I'd rather get on that bus with a 60-year-old as the driver."

Some people, such as 36-year-old Robert Denis, a cook at the Hale Koa hotel, said they had no problems with 18-year-old bus drivers — as long as they fulfilled all of the licensing requirements.

"They gotta pass all of that," Denis said. "If they've got the ability, why not?"

Others were like Tashia Kobylanski, a 21-year-old Honolulu Community College student from Mililani, who worries about the maturity of 18 year olds.

"Young people get into a lot of accidents," Kobylanski said. "They're not that familiar with the roads and even less familiar driving. So I'd be unsure having them drive" a bus.