Question: I wonder whether school buses have to get safety inspections. I don’t see a sticker, and this bus should not be on the road. (A cellphone video attached to the emailed question showed a school bus emitting billowing black smoke from the rear.)

Answer: Yes, school buses are subject to annual state-certified safety inspections. School buses are classified as commercial vehicles, so the compliance sticker is placed at the front of the vehicle, not the back, as for passenger vehicles, said Patricia Wong, an information specialist for the state Department of Transportation.

Apart from any government-sanctioned check, this problem should have been detected and corrected during routine, regular maintenance by whatever transportation company, school or entity owns the bus, according to a bus maintenance specialist who viewed the clip at Kokua Line’s request.

The expert, who asked not to be named because he did not have his employer’s authority to speak on the record, suspects the vehicle has an injector or intake malfunction. "With diesel a little exhaust is to be expected upon initial acceleration. But a bus shouldn’t be smoking like that," he said. "A lot of times there is rubbish on the streets, and the air intake gets clogged; that could be the problem here."

As for the annual state-certified inspections, they are overseen by the DOT Highways Division Motor Vehicle Safety Office, said Wong. The thorough checks are done by stations certified by the DOT to inspect commercial vehicles.

Because school buses are commercial motor vehicles, "they do not have the safety inspection stickers like passenger cars do, which are located on the back bumper," she said. "They are required to have an HDOT safety inspection sticker, which is located on the front lower right windshield."

Anyone who wishes to report a school bus that appears out of compliance may call the bus owner (if that information is apparent) or the relevant island’s state Motor Vehicle Safety Office. On Oahu the number is 692-7650, Wong said. When you call, ask for a complaint form, she said.

We couldn’t tell who owns the bus from viewing the video. We do know that the state Department of Education does not own any of the buses that transport thousands of public school students. It contracts with private companies to provide that service, a spokeswoman said. Some private schools run their own buses, and others depend on outside contractors to transport students.

Also, it’s worth noting, as Wong did, that Hawaii does not have state-specific emission standards. However, federal standards apply nationwide.

Auwe

On Tuesday at 4:25 p.m., we were stopped at the red light on Wilder Avenue and waiting to turn left at Punahou Street. The driver of the red compact car in front of us was probably texting on his phone because he kept looking down and did not see the green arrow light up and the five cars before him make the left turn. There were no cars in front of him when he finally looked up and started to move forward. Naturally, the light changed to red. He and the rest of us in line had to wait for another green arrow.

This would not have been a problem for us (other than being behind an inconsiderate driver), but we needed to get to a preschool by 5 p.m. or we would incur a $10 charge for picking up our grandchild late. … Texting while driving is illegal and dangerous. Hopefully, this driver does not have a serious accident harming himself, his passengers and/or innocent parties.

Mahalo

Thank you to the kind woman in orange Hawaiian- print shorts and a tank top who followed me out of Walmart and gave me $20 "for our dinner," then hurriedly walked away. She was in line behind me and overheard me telling the cashier that I was buying the three gallons of Luau punch for a dinner for the homeless at the River of Life Mission. You have blessed many and they are so thankful. Happy Thanksgiving! — Blessed by a stranger

Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.