Give Public Transportation A Try In August with Free Fare Rides

Aug 18, 2022

By: Jordan Jower and Eva Manzulli

Who said there’s no such thing as free ride? Actually, there is… for a limited time, anyway. From Aug. 22 to 26, TheBus will not charge fare for its riders in an effort to showcase the bus as a convenient, affordable transportation option. It’s an opportunity for community members to experiment or reacquaint themselves with the convenient mode of transportation — cost free! — for their daily needs.

In addition to free fare, it’s a chance to ride one of the City’s new fully electric buses. Ulupono team members recently hopped aboard an e-bus from the Kalihi-Palama Bus Facility to the Halawa Rail Station.

We began our morning by learning about the HOLO Card and how it integrates with other transportation initiatives on Oahu such as the Handi-Van and —potentially – the rail. This experience demonstrated how convenient it is to utilize a multimodal transportation system.

Upon entering the facility, we observed the new bus fleet lined up next to multiple 150-watt Siemens charging cabinets. The charging station at the Kalihi-Palama Bus Facility has the capacity to charge nine buses at a time! After gaining insight about zero-emission buses, we boarded electric bus 4001 and sat down on blue cushioned seats before departing.

Our ride to the Halawa Rail Station was smooth and quiet since electric buses generate less noise than traditional and hybrid models. Furthermore, electric modes of transportation have a variety of benefits that includes less greenhouse gas emissions and cost-effective solutions to rising gas prices.

In 2020, the City and County of Honolulu added the first electric bus to its fleet. There are now 17 fully electric buses providing transportation services to the people of Honolulu. The Honolulu Department of Transportation Services aims to have an all-electric bus fleet by 2035-2040 in order to support the state’s goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.

Visit the full news release for more information about the free-fare period and/or electric buses.