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Question: When the Honolulu rail project is completed, will there be one price for riding the rail and TheBus? If you ride the rail, can you use the same ticket to get on TheBus? My friend said “no,” because TheBus is run by the city and the rail is a state project.
Answer: There won’t necessarily be one price for riding the future rail system and TheBus, but there will be a single fare system.
Rail will be part of a “multimodal transit system,” which means the system will be integrated with TheBus, said Jeanne Mariani-Belding, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.
HART is working with Oahu Transit Services, which operates TheBus, on an integrated fare system, so customers will be able to use the same smart card to ride both TheBus and rail, she said. “We want the user experience between the two modes of transportation to be seamless.”
According to HART’s website, discounts for seniors, students and others who are entitled to lower bus fares will apply.
Information about the project can be found at www.honolulutransit.org. Click on “rail facts.”
HART also explains that it is a semi-autonomous public transit authority that is governed by a 10-member board made up of state and city directors of transportation; six volunteer members of the community; and the city director of planning and permitting (a nonvoting member). The eight voting members of the board appoint the 10th member.
HART is responsible for planning, constructing, operating, maintaining and expanding the city’s $5.2 billion fixed guideway system, which is being funded by the Federal Transit Administration (one-third) and the half-percent state general excise tax surcharge levied only on Oahu, paid by residents, businesses and tourists.
Question: I called a restaurant and was told that for parties over nine people, they are going to charge a 15 percent tip. Is that legal?
Answer: Adding an automatic or mandatory tip to the bills of “large” groups of diners is a long-standing and legal practice in the restaurant industry, but customers must be notified of the fee before ordering.
“If the restaurant intends to impose a set gratuity for groups over a certain size, they should clearly notify the guests of the mandatory charge in advance,” said Bruce Kim, executive director of the state Office of Consumer Protection.
That means when you call to make a reservations, as in your case, or on the menus.
The Internal Revenue Service zeroed in on this practice on Jan. 1, when it began classifying an “auto-gratuity” as a service charge instead of a tip.
That means the IRS regards mandatory tips as regular wages, which must be reported for payroll tax withholding. Generally, it’s left to employees to report tips as income.
The IRS says common examples of these “auto-gratuity” service charges in various other industries are bottle service charges in restaurants and nightclubs; room service charges in hotels; contracted luggage assistance charge in hotels; and mandated delivery charge for pizza or other retail deliveries.
Mahalo
To the driver of the No. 5 bus to and from Manoa. I had just left my doctor’s office near King and Keeaumoku streets and caught the bus to go for emergency treatment at Kapiolani Hospital. The driver knew something was amiss, so when the bus stopped at the hospital, he got out of his seat and helped me down, making sure I was steady on my feet before he departed. Such chivalry, thoughtfulness and concern for me is greatly and thankfully appreciated. Mahalo also to a senior couple. Later that same day, I was walking from the hospital to my home at Arcadia nearby. They were walking in the opposite direction, but noticed I was handicapped and offered to walk with me to my home so that I would not fall. I am grateful for all such nice and kind people. — Barb L.
The caring bus driver is Terry Caberto, according to Oahu Transit Services.
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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