Kokua Line: Do I need smartphone to get a HOLO card?

Question: Are a credit card and internet required to obtain and continue to use (reload) the disability fare HOLO card to ride TheBus on Oahu? I don’t have a smartphone.

Answer: No. “A credit card or online access are not required to obtain a disability HOLO card. You will need government-­issued photo identification and a completed disability application, signed by a health care professional or governmental agency involved in a physical or mental disability program(s) and recognized by the Department of Transportation Services,” said Travis Ota, a spokesman for Hono­lulu’s DTS. As far as reloading the card, that can be done with cash, as well as with a credit or debit card.

Ota also answered the next two questions about HOLO cards, which serve as a reloadable electronic pass to ride Oahu’s municipal buses.

Q: Does a person with a valid photo disability bus pass have to submit a new physician’s letter to switch to using a HOLO card at the disability rate?

A: “It depends on the duration that the health care professional listed on the application on file. To find out if you need to reapply, please call customer service at 808-848-5555 and press 3 to speak with a representative. They will be able to check your card status to see if you need to submit another application.”

Q: Can I reload my disability HOLO card at a satellite city hall?

A: No. “Satellite City Halls are able to process adult, youth and senior HOLO Cards. Disability HOLO card customers can call the HOLO Card Call Center at 808-768-4656 for assistance with reloading using a credit card. Disability cash transactions can be processed at the Kalihi Transit Center, Transit Pass Office.”

To be clear, for HOLO card fare categories that can be reloaded at a satellite city hall, the transactions are cash only, according to TheBus website, thebus.org. Many users prefer to manage their accounts online, at holocard.net, using a credit or debit card.

Q: Are they charging to replace HOLO cards for TheHandi-Van too?

A: No, the $2 replacement fee starting March 1 affects the adult, youth, Medicare, senior and disability fare categories for TheBus HOLO cards. Replacement HOLO cards for TheHandi-Van are not affected, according to a DTS news release.

Q: Did the city expand COVID-19 relief to pay mortgages?

A: No, the expansion of Honolulu County’s Rental and Utility Relief Program is to cover more renters who can show financial harm during the pandemic. “The program cannot pay for mortgages due to federal guidelines,” according to its website.

Q: I was driving behind an SUV and couldn’t see its license plate number and letters, but then noticed it had a rectangle-shaped sticker covering it. As it made a left turn, some of the numbers were barely visible. I heard the covering is referred to as a camera or photo blocker. Is it legal and if not, what is the penalty for using it?

A: It’s not legal, per Hawaii Revised Statutes 249-7(b), which says that license plates “shall at all times be displayed entirely unobscured … .” Violations can result in a $70 citation, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Mahalo

Mahalo to the gentleman managing the heavy in-and-out traffic at the building housing the Diagnostic Laboratory Services Inc. branch on Kapahulu Avenue. It’s a small parking lot with very tight turns necessary to navigate, yet this attendant skillfully (and pleasantly) manages to guide visitors safely. There are many motorists with less-than-great driving skills visiting daily, yet he manages to guide young and old in and out of this very busy parking lot. So mahalo to this man, often sporting a cowboy hat: You are appreciated. — John V.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email [email protected].