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CRAIG T. KOJIMA/CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
2013 OCTOBER 23 CTY A new city bus is displayed at City Hall. 18 new buses will go into service this month, replacing buses which were originally purchased in 1995. SA photo by Craig T. Kojima
Honolulu transportation officials today touted 18 new buses planned to join the city’s fleet serving the public by the end of the month.
The new buses will replace 18 older models that have transported passengers across Honolulu since 1995. The new models will offer more user-friendly perks such as easier ramps for disabled passengers to board, quieter air conditioning systems, and brighter exterior signs, said Roger Morton, president and general manager of Oahu Transit Services. The nonprofit agency, which acts partly as a city entity and partly as an independent operator, runs "TheBus" and Handi-Van for the city.
The 18 buses are the last in a larger order for 68 new city buses, totaling $29.9 million, officials said. The federal government covered $19.6 million of that cost and the city covered the rest.
Some 240,000 passengers use TheBus system each day, according to OTS. The fleet has 524 buses.
