Bus operators trained to act in hazardous stop situations

By June Watanabe

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 05, 2012

~~<p>Question: About 6:35 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, and 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, I was waiting for the bus on King Street fronting the Blaisdell Concert Hall after visiting my husband at Straub Hospital. There was a Neil Diamond concert at the Blaisdell arena on both nights and cars were backed up on King Street to enter the parking lot kokohead of the bus stop. These cars were blocking the bus stop completely, making it impossible for buses to enter the bus stop zone. I witnessed numerous buses stopping in the second traffic lane and it was very dangerous, since it was already dark. When my bus came, I had to walk between the cars and wave the bus down. I’m 78 years old and use a three-pronged walking cane and don’t walk fast. Even more dangerous were riders getting off the bus. This situation seems to happen often, whenever there are large crowds attending Blaisdell events. Shouldn’t event promoters and Blaisdell officials be responsible for controlling the traffic for safety reasons?</p>
<p>Answer: Oahu Transit Services says it did respond to the dangerous situation fronting the Blaisdell concert hall when it was made aware of it on Feb. 18.</p>
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Question: About 6:35 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, and 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, I was waiting for the bus on King Street fronting the Blaisdell Concert Hall after visiting my husband at Straub Hospital. There was a Neil Diamond concert at the Blaisdell arena on both nights and cars were backed up on King Street to enter the parking lot kokohead of the bus stop. These cars were blocking the bus stop completely, making it impossible for buses to enter the bus stop zone. I witnessed numerous buses stopping in the second traffic lane and it was very dangerous, since it was already dark. When my bus came, I had to walk between the cars and wave the bus down. I’m 78 years old and use a three-pronged walking cane and don’t walk fast. Even more dangerous were riders getting off the bus. This situation seems to happen often, whenever there are large crowds attending Blaisdell events. Shouldn’t event promoters and Blaisdell officials be responsible for controlling the traffic for safety reasons?

Answer: Oahu Transit Services says it did respond to the dangerous situation fronting the Blaisdell concert hall when it was made aware of it on Feb. 18. Login for more...