If you would like a copy of TheHandi-Van Rider’s Guide in an accessible format (i.e. large print (PDF), audio or Word document file) or in a different language, please call (808) 768-8300, or email handivan@honolulu.gov.
This Rider’s Guide provides TheHandi-Van Cardholder (Cardholder) with information you will need to use TheHandi-Van. The Rider’s Guide does not replace City, State, and Federal laws and regulations that govern operations of TheHandi-Van. For more information, please see Chapter 15B: Public Transit of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu (ROH) and the Department of Transportation Services (DTS) Special Transit Services Rules and Regulations.
Table of Contents
Hours of Operation and Service Area
TheHandi-Van service operates during the same days and hours as TheBus and Skyline and is available in areas located within ¾ of a mile of TheBus Routes and Skyline Stations.
Every Cardholder and Companion riding TheHandi-Van shall pay a fare of $2.50 per one-way passenger trip.
There is no charge for a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) or Service Animal when accompanying a Cardholder.
Be prepared to pay the exact fare by cash, fare ticket, or HOLO card. Operators do not carry change, and are not allowed to search personal items for a customer’s fare. If you wish to use fare tickets instead of cash, you may purchase them from the Transit Pass Office; call TheBus Customer Service at (808) 848-5555 and Press 5 for more information.
HOLO Card
For information on using a HOLO card for payment, please call HOLO Helpline at (808) 768-4656 (voice), 7-1-1 (TTY), or visit www.holocard.net. Please carry cash or fare tickets to pay the exact fare in the event that the card reader is inoperative or your trip is assigned to a contracted service provider; contracted providers do not accept HOLO cards at this time.
A Low-Income Transit Fare Program is available for households that meet the program requirements; visit https://www.honolulu.gov/dcs/litfp, email LItransitfare@honolulu.gov, or call (808) 768-7076 for more information. Individuals that currently receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) are automatically eligible and should visit https://www.honolulu.gov/dts/low-income-transit-ssi, email thebusstop@honolulu.gov, or call (808) 768-8372 to learn how to obtain the Low-Income TheHandi-Van Fare HOLO Card for SSI beneficiaries.
Call (808) 456‑5555 and Press 1 (voice) or 7-1-1 (TTY) between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. You may make a reservation from 1 to 3 days before the date of your trip. Please have the following information ready:
- Your name and a telephone number where you can be reached
- The day and date of your trip
- Your street address and precise directions to your pickup location
- Your destination or street address
- The time you wish to be picked up OR dropped off
- If you are also scheduling a return trip on TheHandi-Van, the time you will be ready for pickup for your return trip
- The form of payment you will be using (HOLO, cash or ticket)
- Whether you will be using a mobility aid (e.g., wheelchair, extra-large wheelchair, oxygen tanks, walker, rollator, or scooter) or if you will need to use the vehicle lift. TheHandi-Van Operator must secure all mobility aids inside the van.
- Whether you will be traveling with a PCA or a Companion to ensure a standard seat is reserved for them; or a Service Animal to ensure the vehicle has sufficient room. Additional Companions may be accommodated on a space-available basis only. TheHandi-Van Operator will not transport anyone who is not prescheduled for a trip.
If you need personal assistance to and from TheHandi-Van pickup location, it is your responsibility to make these arrangements.
PCAs and Companions must get on and off the van at the same place and time as the Cardholder. Trip changes after boarding the vehicle, including rest stops, are not permitted.
If a Cardholder cannot be left unattended (as a result of their disability or impairment), someone must be available to receive them upon arrival at their destination.
Your Reservationist may negotiate a pickup time that is up to 60 minutes before or after your requested pickup time.
Regularly scheduled rides that fall on a holiday are automatically cancelled. Please call (808) 456-5555 and Press 1 (voice) or 7-1-1 (TTY) to schedule your ride on the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- President’s Day
- Prince Kuhio Day
- Good Friday
- Memorial Day
- King Kamehameha Day
- Independence Day
- Admissions Day
- Labor Day
- Veteran's Day
- General Election Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
Please call the Cancellation line at (808) 456-5555 and Press 2 (voice) or 7-1-1 (TTY) as soon as you know that a trip is not needed. If you do not cancel your reservation at least 2 hours before the scheduled pickup time, you will be considered a “no-show.” Please cancel all trips that you do not need even if they do not meet the 2-hour cancellation policy.
A “No-Show” occurs when:
- You are not at the requested pickup address and the Operator cannot locate you;
- You are at the pickup address but not ready to board the van within 5 minutes of the arrival of an on-time van;
- You have not called to cancel your trip at least 2 hours prior to your pickup time; or
- Your pickup is within a gated community or other facility requiring special entry and you fail to arrange entry for TheHandi-Van vehicle before your pickup time.
Riders who have repeated “no-shows” that are due to reasons within their control may be suspended from TheHandi-Van service for up to 30 days, following written notification and an opportunity to appeal.
Operators will secure all mobility aids inside the van. TheHandi-Van vehicle lift capacities vary and depending on configuration, they can transport occupied mobility aids weighing up to 800 to 1,000 pounds, with widths spanning up to 33 to 33.5 inches and lengths ranging up to 50 to 51.5 inches. Trips can be provided to riders when their mobility device is within the vehicle’s lift capacity.
Any mobility aid that you will use on TheHandi-Van should be reviewed, measured and weighed with the rider in it by TheHandi-Van Eligibility Center (808-538-0033).
Riders in wheelchairs are required to provide and use a personal lap belt. Riders who wish to be exempted from this requirement must provide a written medical waiver. For further assistance, call Customer Service at (808) 456-5555 and Press 3.
A Service Animal
is defined as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.
Pets,
including emotional support or comfort animals, are allowed if they are in a cage or carrier that can be stored under the rider’s seat or on the rider’s lap without inconveniencing other riders.
If a Service Animal or Pet is out of control and the owner does not take effective action to control it, or if the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, the Operator may refuse to transport the animal or take action to have it removed from the vehicle.
You are responsible for your own carry-on items. You may bring one standard medium suitcase and one small carry-on bag that can be carried on your lap or stowed under or in front of your seat without interfering with the movement of your fellow passengers during transport. No baggage may be stored in the aisle or on the seats. The maximum dimension of any bag or items must not exceed 50 inches (combined lineal length, width and height). Please make other transportation arrangements if you are going shopping and anticipate carrying large and/or bulky baggage; they will not be transported on TheHandi-Van. Shopping carts that do not exceed 18 inches deep, 18 inches wide, and 30 inches high excluding wheels and handles are allowed if you can empty the cart and carry the items in two small bags held on your lap or stowed under or in front of your seat so that the cart can be secured in a way that does not impede passengers.
Children 5 years and under ride free when accompanied by a fare paying adult. Children under 4 years of age or who weigh under 40 pounds must travel in an approved child seat. TheHandi-Van vehicles are not equipped with child seats, so you will need to bring one with you. Service will be denied if a child does not have an approved child seat.
All Cardholders must carry their TheHandi-Van HOLO Card when they ride TheHandi-Van. Please ensure that you are properly attired. Bandage or cover any open sores or wounds to prevent accidents or exposure to others. Any rider who has had a urine or bowel accident that is not cleaned up prior to pick up may be denied transportation.
TheHandi-Van provides shared ride, origin-to-destination (curb-to-curb) service. It is not an emergency, medical or taxi service. The Operator will gladly answer questions about your ride. However, for safety reasons, avoid unnecessary conversation with the Operator.
You should wait at the sidewalk or at another safe waiting area in front of the pickup location. Operators may assist you to and from the vehicle and the door of your building. Operators cannot enter buildings nor do they assume the role of a PCA.
You can expect the van to pick you up within 30 minutes after your scheduled pickup time. We refer to this 30 minutes as your Pickup Window. Please be ready by the earliest time in the Pickup Window. You can see your van’s estimated arrival time using the online Estimated Van Arrival (EVA) system (https://eva.thebus.org). You can also sign up to receive automated phone call reminders regarding your reserved trips and when your TheHandi-Van eligibility is about to expire or to cancel your reserved trips through the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. For more information on EVA or to sign up for IVR reminders, please call Customer Service at (808) 456-5555 and Press 3.
If a van arrives early, you may volunteer to leave early, but you are not obligated to leave until your scheduled pickup time. Operators will wait up to 5 minutes after the scheduled pickup time, or 5 minutes after they arrive if they arrive later than the scheduled pickup time, and then leave.
For one-way streets, pickup and drop off is on the right curb side to ensure entry/exit is on the opposite side of moving traffic and the lift can be safely deployed.
Safety belts
All riders must use the provided seat belt and/or shoulder harness and remain seated while riding on TheHandi-Van. Undoing a seat belt and/or walking in the van while it is in motion is not permitted.
Cardholders may request Reasonable Modifications to policies, practices, or procedures to ensure that the service is accessible to them by calling Customer Service at (808) 456‑5555 and Pressing 3 (voice) or 7-1-1 (TTY). TheHandi-Van is not required to grant requests that would result in a fundamental alteration of the service, create a direct threat to the health or safety of others, or that are not necessary to permit the Cardholder to use TheHandi-Van. TheHandi-Van reserves the right to determine whether to provide transportation using its own Operators and vans or by using a contracted transportation service.
Below is a high-level summary of the ROH Chapter 15B Article 3: Activities Prohibited on the Multimodal Municipal Transportation System. For complete details, please refer to the full regulatory text that is available online at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com.
- Carrying or possessing live animals, except a service animal under control of and accompanied by the Cardholder, that are not kept in an enclosed container that can be placed under the seat or on the rider’s lap;
- Discarding, disposing of, placing, throwing, or dropping any litter in or from the vehicle;
- Smoking an electronic or tobacco cigarette, cigar, pipe, or any other nicotine-containing substance except nicotine gum or patches;
- Carrying or possessing any flammable or highly toxic liquid or gas (other than medical oxygen);
- Playing any electronic device, musical instrument, or sound-producing or sound-emitting personal device without headphones or earphones;
- Throwing or placing hot burning substances or objects such as cigars, cigarettes or the contents of a burning pipe in, upon or in close proximity to any city transit system vehicle which is combustible or liable to damage by heat, fire or explosion;
- Spitting, expectorating, urinating, or defecating in or on a vehicle or city transit facility, unless the rider cannot comply as a result of a disability, age, or medical condition;
- Obstructing, impeding, hindering, interfering with or otherwise disrupting the safe and efficient operation of any city transit vehicle;
- Harassing, intimidating or doing anything that may incite or cause fear, harm or danger to other passengers or the Operator;
- Knowingly failing or refusing to pay the full applicable fare for transportation or to present a valid pass, identification card, or other fare medium for transportation on the city transit vehicle;
- Consuming food or drink, unless required for medical reasons;
- Occupying more than one seat, including placing belongings on another seat; and
- Storing baggage in the aisle, or in a manner that protrudes into another seat, otherwise interferes with, or causes discomfort to other passengers.
In the event that a Cardholder is held accountable for a Prohibited Act or Misconduct and is found at fault after review, service may be suspended for up to 90 days, following written notification and an opportunity to appeal.
Any rider who engages in violent, seriously disruptive, or illegal conduct that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others may be immediately suspended from using TheHandi-Van service for up to 12 months, with the right to request an administrative hearing.
New Reservations or Reservation Changes
(Daily, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
(808) 456-5555, press 1 (voice) • 7-1-1 (TTY)
Cancellations
(Daily, 24 hours)
Late Van Inquiries
(Daily, 4:00 a.m. – 12:00 midnight)
(808) 456-5555, press 2 (voice) • 7-1-1 (TTY)
Customer Service
(Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
Lost & Found
(Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
(808) 456-5555, press 3 (voice) • 7-1-1 (TTY)
Automated Interactive Voice Response
(Daily, 24 hours)
(808) 456-5555, press 4 (voice) • 7-1-1 (TTY)
In the event that (808) 456-5555 is unavailable, please call the Contingency Call Center at (808) 650-3021 (voice)
Fare Ticket Purchases
Transit Pass Office / TheBus Customer Service (Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
(808) 848-5555, press 5 (voice) • 7-1-1 (TTY)
HOLO Card Inquiries
HOLO Helpline (Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
(808) 768-4656 (voice) • 7-1-1 (TTY)
Personal Information Changes
TheHandi-Van Eligibility Center (Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
(808) 538-0033 (voice) • 7-1-1 (TTY)
Rider Satisfaction Survey
Department of Transportation Services (Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
(808) 768-8300 (voice) • 7-1-1 (TTY)