TheBus arrival time app is slow to adjust — for now

Question: I recently was at bus stop 16, waiting for the airport bus that is supposed to depart there at 6:08 a.m. About 6:10 a.m., my bus app "Hea" said it had come and gone, which was not true. I called TheBus and was told that bus had broken down and the next bus would not arrive until 6:29 a.m. I asked why the app showed it had arrived and left. The lady said the bus was not tracking. This is not good for customers needing to get somewhere and also not safe if it’s dark. Can HEA not let customers know if a bus will not be arriving? What is TheBus’ policy when their delay causes a customer to miss a flight? Do they reimburse? The lady also said the HEA system is not always accurate! How can we rely on this to plan trips if HEA is not always accurate?

Answer: Oahu Transit Service officials apologized for your experience.

The HEA (Honolulu Estimated Arrival) system uses "real-time bus arrival information" to provide the best estimated time when a bus is supposed to arrive via computer or mobile phone. 

In your case, the scheduled 6:08 a.m. bus was running "very late" and the bus that was following caught up to it, said OTS spokeswoman Michelle Kennedy.

To bring the late-running bus back on schedule, it was "diverted" — repositioned on the route — so did not service the stops in the Kapiolani Park area where you were waiting.

Kennedy explained that all OTS buses are on a fixed route with fixed time points and scheduled times. 

The HEA system uses this information to calculate the estimated time the bus will be at a stop along the route. When a bus is diverted or taken off route (on a detour), HEA is unable to calculate the time based on the fixed route and scheduled times. 

"In this particular situation where the bus was diverted to leap ahead in its fixed route to get back on schedule, the system tried to recalculate to find this bus along its route," Kennedy said. "The HEA system then listed the bus as departed on all of the bus stops that this bus had missed."

OTS will be adjusting HEA so it does not show that a bus has left a stop if it did not actually serve that stop, she said.

Kennedy said the information clerk did not know all the details of the bus reroute when you called, and "explained that there was difficulty in tracking the other bus."

The reality is there is no guarantee that any bus will arrive as scheduled and OTS does not reimburse for any expenses incurred because of a delay.

"We cannot guarantee that the buses will not experience delays due to traffic, construction or weather-related situations," Kennedy said. "We suggest to all customers that they plan their travel knowing that traffic delays may occur."

For more on HEA (DaBus app), go to 1.honolulu.gov/mobile/dabus.htm.

Mahalo

To a young man named Jimmy, who, with so much bad news and negativity permeating our lives, reaffirmed my faith in others. During a shopping trip to Ala Moana Center last month, I lost my wallet. My initial reaction was panic — would someone steal my identity — then dread in having to replace credit cards, driver’s license, etc. But a short while later, I received a phone call from Jimmy, who said he had found my wallet and insisted on delivering it to my home. I wasn’t sure how to thank him for his kindness but handed him an envelope with a nominal cash reward, which he was reluctant to accept. The final chapter in this adventure arrived in the mail several days later, when I received notification that Jimmy used the reward money to make a donation in my honor to a local charity. I’m truly sorry that I didn’t get his full name and phone number so I could thank him once again. Not just for returning my wallet but for reminding this 89-year-old of the true goodness in people. With young men like Jimmy in our community, I firmly believe the future is bright indeed. — Patrick Fowler/Manoa

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.