STAND. COM. REP. NO.  424

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 489

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 489 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to promote safety on Hawaii's roadways by:

 

     (1)  Establishing the offense of failure to yield the right-of-way to a mass transit vehicle;

 

     (2)  Requiring the Department of Transportation to adopt rules determining the specifications for the placement of a yield sign on the mass transit vehicle, as well as the specifications of the yield sign itself; and

 

     (3)  Establishing an unspecified fine and a community service penalty for a violation.

 

     Royal Star Hawaii Transit provided comments on this measure.

 

     Mass transit vehicles are generally large and operators of these vehicles have difficulty re-entering traffic because of poor rear-view visibility.  This can be a hazard to both the mass transit vehicle and the motor vehicle approaching from behind.  Requiring other motor vehicles to yield the right-of-way to a mass transit vehicle is a way of addressing this safety concern.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 489 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair