Taxicab Service Hits Bumps

HONOLULU -- A plan to use taxicabs to help stranded bus riders got off to a slow start Tuesday.

The Cab Company plans to allocate about 100 cabs to a jitney service. A jitney is a small vehicle that travels a regular route and carries several passengers for a low fare.

"The plan is to have taxis pick up customers at all the bus routes for $3, and the taxis would travel the bus routes," said Howard Higa, of The Cab.

Only eight bus routes are involved, including downtown, Ala Moana, University, Waikiki, Makiki and Kalihi.

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A drive past some of the normally busiest bus stops Tuesday showed no one waiting for a jitney. Cab officials think bus stops on the selected routes were virtually empty Tuesday because word about the jitney service was late in getting out.

KITV 4 News did find one couple visiting from American Samoa who had heard about the jitney service. Tee and Ida Masaniai needed to get from Ala Moana to Hickam AFB. However, Hickam is not part of the routes.

"Well, I guess I'm going to have to pay the regular fare," Tee Masaniai said.

There are a couple things to remember in catching a jitney ride. The Cab company says it will be a supply-and-demand situation, so if not many people are waiting along a certain route, don't expect a cab to come by often. Also, the cab may wait at the bus stop until the cab is full. The cabs working as jitneys will have a sign on their dashboard indicating so.