HONOLULU — Hawaii will allow ride-hailing services to operate at the Honolulu airport on a permanent basis after changes were approved to administration rules.
HONOLULU — Hawaii will allow ride-hailing services to operate at the Honolulu airport on a permanent basis after changes were approved to administration rules.
Uber and Lyft, which the state refers to as transportation network companies, have operated at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport since December 2017 under a pilot program to test feasibility.
Gov. David Ige signed off Tuesday on the amended rules that go into effect Aug. 24, allowing the transportation companies licensed by the state to apply for a permit from the state Department of Transportation.
The decision followed a series of public meetings held across the state on the proposed changes, the first rule changes for commercial services at airports since 2002.
“The pilot program and the public hearings found there is significant support and interest in TNC services at our airports,” transportation director Jade Butay said in a statement. “The rules are in place to ensure there is a level playing field for all prearranged ground transportation companies.”
Uber and Lyft will continue to use two designated areas to pick up passengers at the Honolulu airport.
Passenger drop-offs are allowed at airports on other Hawaii islands, but permitting and pickup operations for ride-hailing services have not been established, state officials said. The transportation department plans to review each island’s licensing regulations regarding the amended administrative rules at the airports.
See that last paragraph? Plans “to review the amended administrative rules at each airport” – that’s what keeps Hawaii lagging so far behind. That’s a bunch of lies. They’re dragging their feet because of deals made with taxi companies. Money paid to HDOT to make sure it takes as long as possible before people in Hawaii have access to much cheaper and more convenient transportation from the airport. I mean how LONG does it take to review a rule? 5 minutes? A full day? And then on top of that – our airports are all old and run down. They need to review the rules about keeping the bathrooms clean more than review anything about Uber.