I was slightly surprised to hear that TheBus (Hawai'i's bus system) is "already one of the busiest transit systems in the country," with about 200,000 passengers each day on Oahu, because I always had the impression that not many people rode the bus because it was such a poor system. As far as I knew, the majority of residents think that TheBus is not convenient, not reliable (the buses are notorious for being late or not on schedule), and basically not a reliable source of transportation.
Perhaps I have a skewed or outdated perception because according to the recent KITV4 news video that I came across, "
High Gas Prices Turning More Residents To Public Transportation," I am wrong about not many people taking TheBus on Oahu... And it looks like even more people have resorted to taking the bus recently, as gas prices approach $5/gallon.
The Honolulu Star Advertiser reported gas prices on Maui are at an all-time high, and gas prices on Oahu are nearing the record. It does not look like gas prices will be decreasing significantly anytime soon, but perhaps this will have some positive effects on the island, such as helping to relieve the traffic problem on Oahu.
But I question how long these positive effects would last. If gas prices drop, residents will go right back to driving their cars, even if TheBus is now a viable option for them.
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