The Bus (senior)
Annual and monthly senior bus passes are already priced in a way that seem to incentivize kupuna to take the bus over driving.
At $45/yr, which I assume is practically nothing in transit revenue, what is stopping us from making it completely free for them by just showing ID? This would break down the barrier of getting a senior card (which can only be done at satellite city halls and the pass office) and get more kupuna on the bus which can only be a good thing.
If tracking usage is an issue, I can’t imagine it would be that hard to scan a drivers license/state ID bar code when they get on.
Just a shower thought having done no real research and speaking as an under 30 year old. Would love your thoughts.
Edit: Comments are mentioning that seniors may not have ID, but you need a government photo ID to get the senior Holo card, so this would just skip the extra step of obtaining one by allowing the use of that ID directly at the bus.
Also, the main effect of my thinking is that the reduced fare should be to give seniors, that probably should not be driving, a safer alternative to get around. This population presumably has a drivers license already.
I will grant it would either require drivers to check the ID card or install something that can scan those cards, both of which we are capable of doing but may not desire to.
Side note: I drive regularly in Honolulu and I took the bus for the first time around town a few months ago. I was surprised how fast it was able to get me where I wanted to go. Just based on $/mile plus $/parking it is cheaper for me than driving and I will be using it more especially downtown.