If you come to Waikiki as a tourist and want to save some money and see some sights in and around Honolulu, then at some point you'll need to take the bus. It's pretty much no frills, what you see is what you get. Waikiki is very expensive and unless you have pockets full of money, at some point in your vacation you will start figuring out where the less expensive supermarkets and restaurants are. Well, all of those places are outside of Waikiki and thus you'll need transportation to get there. The bus costs $2.50 each way with a transfer ticket issued that can be used to transfer onto another bus in the same direction but we used them as a way to get back to our hotel (round trip). The buses also remind me of the ones I used to catch as a kid in the 80s and 90s to get to school. They definitely need an upgrade!! read more

This issue is more of a pet peeve because the Bus system allows people in wheelchairs and mobility scooter to ride the bus for the same low price as seniors and handicapped people who can walk short distances on their own. When a wheelchair or scooter rider rides the bus instead of riding the HandiVan, the driver must ask at least five riders to give up their seats. The wheelchairs takeup three horizontal seats as well as two aisle-window seats and forces riders to either stand or hunt for anther seat, which is most often unavailable. These riders in wheelchairs must pay $2.00 a ride on the HandiVan but only $1.00 on the bus, so this is probably whey they don't use the HandiVan service. It would be better to charge them the same price ($2.00) to ride the bus, especially when they take 5-seats. read more

I rode the bus to a lot of places on Oahu and the drivers were always informative and friendly, everything was clean, it was air-conditioned (too much, but better than not enough I guess) and the buses came around very often. Great experience! read more

I want to like you, I really do because I normally love taking the bus places (I don't have to drive and I can catch up on reading or people watching), but this morning, I wasn't happy. I had just flown in from Kauai and needed to get to work....I waited for the bus to take me into Waikiki and since I had a roller bag that was too big to fit on my lap, I couldn't take the bus...I wasn't happy...not at all...so I had to instead spend money on a taxi home...NOT HAPPY! The bus wasn't FULL! LET ME ON THE BUS! :) read more

Transit service is horrible!! Buses are late and drivers don't announce the stops!! We missed our stop because he didn't announce it, we spent an hour and a half in the bus only to turn around and get an Uber. We will stick to Ubers!! read more

Driver for route 54 on Sunday, August 30 leaving town transit at 12:57 sucks! We were in traffic over 2 hours! When we would stop, she'd take out her newspaper. You wouldn't believe how many cars cut it front because of it. I could have easily gotten home at least 30 sooner if she would've put her newspaper down. read more

Today August 31st 2018 Friday I was waiting for the 40 at the UH West Oahu stop. BOTH west and eastbound busses come to this 1 stop. I'm a little visually impaired mind you. I was waiting for the eastbound bus which was supposed to come at 4:48pm. Around 5pm a bus comes suddenly and I didn't get to see the front of the bus if it says Makaha or Ala Moana to tell me if it's going my direction (eastbound). As the door opens I KINDLY ask the driver (middle aged local man wearing multi colored reflective shades) a simple question.. His shades were this COLOR ---- https://www.google.com/search?biw=1280&bih=711&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=HkWKW77sFsiG0wKTgKOIDA&q=reflective+multi+color+shades+man&oq=reflective+multi+color+shades+man&gs_l=img.3...1241.3916..4184...1.0..0.157.685.0j5......1....1..gws-wiz-img.c_X5W-pDCHM#imgrc=oDLXo1d9uEeZqM: I kindly ask the man, "is this bus going west bound?" Again, because i'm visually impaired and couldn't see what the front of the bus said (Makaha or Ala Moana).. After that simple yes or no question dis buggah loses his sh*t and gets all pissy. He shouts at me, "It SAYS west bound so its going west bound!!!" He shook his head and was so irritated by my simple question. I'm sorry that you don't know that i'm visually impaired and you just think i'm being lazy/dumb. I was so embarrassed and felt like sh*t after he just yelled at an innocent nice person in front of the other people inside the bus for asking a yes or no question. This braddah is on his period or what? I just stepped back and waited for the other my eastbound bus feeling like crap. Hows this local braddah living with no aloha? Auwe....what's happening to our people....I hope you guys are training your employees on customer service. That is a big A'OLE. read more

For mainland reviewers, for your info, in Hawaii, we don't use streets as reference for stops. We use landmarks! so, it sounds more like... suggestions. But, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE BUS!!!! It was my loyal friend for 3 years before I got my car. It took me everywhere and anywhere I wanted to go with more extensive routes and runs frequently pass midnight. The drivers are so friendly unlike the muni drivers in SF. Although recently, they have raised the fare and had strike for 3 months a few years back, but did not stop the friendly service! And, they are not too many of those shady and weird people like in the muni except.. okay... when you go towards downtown areas! =) I think it's just the most reliable and cheap transportations on Oahu which will take you around the island when you don't have a car! read more

Always late.. and you'll see four busses back to back by walmart.. these days if I know when my pizza his the oven and when its delivered then I should know where my bus is! read more

Not animal friendly. Unless its a service animal or in a crate!!...don't you know crates are OK bulky. New time pet carrier comes in bag soft case ,backpack,and hand bags. Which is lighter and pet friendly and no inconvenience to other passenger. Come on the bus!! Small animals are no problem if the are contained and behaved and bags and backpacks are the newest thing for pet carriers. read more

We take The Bus every time we're in Honolulu. We did the Circle Island route once. Stopped off, got shaved ice, then back on The Bus. This is almost the same route the overpriced bus tours take. Before heading on vaca, go the the website and print out the routes. read more

Bus 62 smells like urine. Bus driver friendly enough to passengers. I flew out of my seat when the driver rapidly hit the brakes. The driver made sure to stop in front of a car that didn't stop in front of a stop sign and ripped him a new ass. I gave it a three for entertainment value. read more

I can't leave the state without reviewing Da Bus! I've been to other places where there is NO bus service on Sundays, it stops at 3pm on Saturdays and stops at 7pm on weekdays and all routes are run every TWO hours. Da Bus is 365 days a year. My neighborhood stop gets serviced until midnight- Christmas Day, Thanksgiving, New Year's and everything in between. It has been a blessing, and the drivers are nice people. Just a couple of concerns: make Kapolei transit at least somewhat acceptable. It's current state of dirt, weeds and two porta potties just doesn't cut it. I've been saying for the past few years that they need a service out to Kapolei Commons. (Now that we're leaving) the 416 route starts Dec. 4 for a 6 month trial. I'm happy for my fellow Wessiders, because this will better serve the UHWO campus and also service Kroc center. Maybe it will even help with some of the 40 overcrowding...something needs to be done about the 40 route because it always is stuffed like a can of sardines, especially if one bus is late. read more

I've been waiting at this bus stop near leeward for approximately 2 hours and the 42 still hasn't arrived. I'd give Uber a go but I don't have money to just throw around and my driving test is, unfortunately, all the way in October. My parents are also working late today... 2 hours isn't just a delay, it's a major issue. read more

Man, I've seen some fascinating characters in my lifetime, but some of these locals are some interesting creatures. This was my first time taking a TheBus in Hawaii. I got on in Waikiki and road it to Aloha Stadium and vice versa. It took about an hour to an hour and a half. Felt like a long time, but it was nice to be able to see everything in between Waikiki and the stadium. It was $2.50 per ticket. It also stops at the airport by the way in case you don't have much luggage and you're just island hopping for the day. Otherwise cabs are probably $40+ to Waikiki. read more

The bus service was clean and friendly. The price is right and it took me where I needed go. There were a few shady characters on the bus but I live in Chicago and deal with that on a daily basis so it didn't bother me one bit! read more

I love The Bus. Growing up in Hawaii I rode it almost every weekend to get wherever I needed to go. It sucked not having a car but as long as the bus was running I didn't need to worry. I wish the city I live in now would get its shite together and have public transit. Second biggest city in WA and nothing here can compare to The Bus. read more

Expect weirdos, stinky people, and it is likely to be crowded depending if you are traveling in the morning or early evening. I love that with my UH student ID I can hop on any bus as much as I'd like while I'm a student. read more

GOOD FOR TOURISTS!!!!!!!!!! NOT FOR EVERYDAY LIFE!!,after one month of riding the bus,arrive late to work and run behind the bus,i can write a review,i like the app for iphone (hubby has one),but i dont have an iphone so i have to use the site for other smartphones,not good at all,some bus stops don't have HEA number (actually most of them),also buses come once an hour,each 40 minutes,so if i miss one bus i have to wait another hour or just run back home and ask my hubby or someone for a ride,i don't find it reliable,convenient to use,i know public transportation helps to save gas and take good care of environment but now that i live here and have to depend on a bus day by day it dissapoints me more and more,my hometown bogota has similar transportation system,buses come each 5 minutes(stop in all stations),express (stops in certain stations) each 20 mins or so,so if i dont take express i can take the single one,so after one month of trial and error, i can say: I NEED A CAR! good things: friendly drivers,the bus kneels for handicap,bus conditions,l i dont care to sit by a weirdo or strange people,thats so common in cities like ny or other large cities,im sorry the bus,i'm not a fan of you anymore (sniff) :( read more

Not always on time and the bus app sometimes doesn't work. Delay in bus arrival make me late to work. Sometime riding bus is very frustrating. read more

Drivers were nice and put up with a lot of tourist crap! I was waiting for one bus and motioned for the driver of another route to pass by, and he asked where we were going. Turns out he was going where we were headed so he saved us some waiting. Lots of routes and they come by frequently. Good stuff! read more

The termial is well covered but 1 way traffic going both east and west makes it difficult for the novice to figure out by themselves. The restrooms are better than normal but still a public restroom that I would avoid except when absolutely necessary. read more

I unfortunately rely on this mess of a system. Maybe its good but it doesnt seem that way. There are some good drivers and the rest are nut jobs. A fair amount of them ignore the mask mandate and allow the other passangers to do the same. During peak COVID times they packed the busses to the brim with no remorse or care. They are also rude, unprofessional bullies. Again, not all, just most. Not only that, but then theres the BS with the inconsistency in their "schedules". You assume you can slightly gauge your times on this "schedule" but...no. For the tourist lines like Waikiki and Ala Moana then yeah! Perfected clock work and tons of buses, even with no tourism due to the pandemic. Glaring where the states focai remains. But local lines are unreliable. The schedule is NEVER right and i get stuck in downpours waiting 45 minutes for a bus that should have been by 3 times based on that "schedule". I hate the bus. Im sorry. I hate TheBus! Its not that it doesnt serve a purpose, it absolutely does! But its a paid for service where the customers should at least be offered a correct schedule. All other junk aside! Just give us a solid schedule! And wear your mask! ITS YOUR RULE! read more

The Bus used to be really good and had good awards and compliments. Now, because of the cutbacks, it really sucks. The buses now come in increments of 2's or 3's and farther in between. And because of the route changes people are getting on the wrong bus (especially the senior citizens. They get confused easily.) The buses are more crowded than usual because of the cut down on the buses. There is no relaxing or napping or getting caught up on your work or reading because chances are you won't get a seat. Some of the drivers are stressed out that they get downright mean too. read more

Went the office for making TheBus pass. I didn't know that the office would be closed at 4pm, and I arrived there only 5 min before. It was almost closed, but the lady at the window let me in and I could get my pass in 5 min!! Whew. Thanks for the sweet lady. REMINDER: The office is closed at 4pm read more

One star just because I cannot go lower. 3 busses already passed without stopping because they were already full and I'm gonna be late for job. You guys need more busses in the morning. It is ridiculous read more

Very unhappy with today's experience on the bus. Up to today I could say nothing negative about this bus service. I tried to take the #19 airport bus back to the airport with our carry on bags and the bus driver denied us passage at 8:20pm on a bus with 10% capacity. The driver claimed our bags were too big! They are the same bags we travelled here with on the bus, and have done so annually for years. This Driver was rude and mean just because he had the power to do so, this forced us to pay a last minute $40.00 cab fare to make our flight. Not a nice way to treat 2 senior ladies on a budget travelling at night alone! Where is his Aloha spirit? read more

The ride was fast and the driver was good! It's just the smell on the bus was dingy and people were like looking. The smell was horrible. But overall the bus ride was fun for someone who didn't ride bus in over 10 years.. The bus driver was nice but wasn't as friendly as I thought! Oh well it was fun riding the bus.. have a blessed day.. read more

A great way to work and save money on gas.

YELP #6/365 TheBus Its a hit and miss for the bus. There are times where theres creepers and stinkies on the bus or their late or what ever. but for the most part the bus is great. I take it to school at least twice a week. In fact i made my school schedule according to the bus schedule. It's so much more convienent and cheap. I save so much money on gas. read more

Great way to get around the island. Most of the drivers though are very rude, unwilling to help/advise, ZERO customer service!

Very disappointing experience riding TheBus due to unreliability and customer service has been hit or miss in most cases. The busses come much less frequently, only every hour instead of every half hour in more suburban or rural areas windward or n. shore. The bus drivers are not helpful and can even be rude in some cases, just asking for a bus pass after I had gotten on was a big issue. The busses sometimes come much earlier or later or not at all about 20-30 percent of the time. The biggest issue with TheBus is overcrowding/safety concerns. There is not even standing room at busy times on the 55 bus, and the airport route was impossibly jammed with people when I rode on it last year. This year I see the bus is still overcrowded when looking through the windows from the sidewalk. As a result I have had to try and walk everywhere (I am in the Kaneohe/Kailua area so this is quite a task). There is no walking or bike path on the Pali Highway or H3 for people to get to Honolulu if they don't have a car. Unacceptable for Oahu to be in this situation and not be improving infrastructure much more rapidly to accommodate tourists to the island and locals that rely on the bus almost exclusively for their transit needs! read more

Pretty average. The driver was nice enough. They were on time, which is nice. A cheap way to get where you need to go.

I said in my previous review that some buses simply do not run on schedule. Yesterday was the worst experience I've had so far. Was waiting from 10:20 to catch the 10:30 1L to Hawaii Kai, to go to a kid's music time held at Waialae Iki as we do almost every Friday. At around 10:40 I checked the HEA and it said the 1L wouldn't come until after 11. I thought this was strange and called to confirm, they said oh yea, it's running 30mins late. Several people were waiting for this bus too. 10-15 minutes late is the usual and not that bad unless you are going to work, but 30+ minutes late with no explanation or attempt to remedy the situation is unbelievable.....and unheard of in places with efficient public transportation. read more

I gotta give this 5 stars. I rode the bus faithfully during my stay on Oahu. It's the best bargain available. $100 bucks per semester if you're a UH student. Public transportation and Hawaii were made for each other. It's simplicity is why I stuck with it. Basically you get all over the island in two stops. There are some negatives though. The first two being that it can be crowded and late to stations frequently. I can't really fault the bus on those problems though. Traffic happens. What I would like the bus to fix is there seating. I wish they would take the fabric cushioning off. I could never stand the smell of urine. It would be so much better with stainless steel. One side note - there's this sticker that's pasted on the rear exit door. It's of a guy that's chilling with his arms crossed and his legs crossed as he's leaning against the door. Who does that? This picture cracked me up many times. read more

Terrible! If you don't need to go anywhere, they're fine, otherwise the buses are always late, dirty, and crowded.

This review is coming from one of your drivers. TheBus: Routes: This bus system puts a bus on roads i've never been on as a kid, and I grew up on the island.. The routes are accessible, and it's cheap to access. Schedule: The city determines the schedule, which is computer generated, that explains why it arrives early in some areas, and late at other areas. So, an operator may have to wait at a timepoint (on the paper schedule), even if the operator knows that there is insufficient time to finish the route.. for example: an operator may get to aala park early, but even though he/she knows that there's unsufficient time to the ending destination, he/she has to depart on schedule.. Bus operators have to follow speed limit laws and other company and federal laws. YES: WE CAN'T JUST HOP IN A CHAIR AND FULL THROTTLE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO LATE BUSES 1) passengers not aware of approaching buses. too busy on your iphones and ipad apps. As if ; the operator is being an inconvenience to you by coming at that specific time. 2) passengers not having their fare ready, You should have your fare/pass in an accessible place, and know where it is before the bus reaches the stop. YES YOU, THE PERSON WHO WATCHED ME PULL UP TO THE STOP TWO LIGHTS AWAY. 3) Disability passengers: I STILL DON'T know why THEBUS has to pick up wheelchairs when they have accessible vans. YES, A.D.A LAW is the most powerful law right now. This group of passengers threaten the federal and city with lawsuits/protests on not being treated equal, yet they don't use the service that they complained for. THEY JUST WANTED THE FREE SERVICE.. 4) picking up elderly, wheelchair assisted, passenger with walkers will prevent the bus from being on-time, servicing these passengers at multiple stops - no one can help that issue. 5) BACK DOOR, the door has been opened for a reasonable time for you to get out. NOW that its closed and we are pulling away from the stop, you notice it's your stop?? (HEAVY PROBLEM WITH MICRONESIANS) 6) The bus is notoriously known to be moving targets. EVERYONE, including your family members are cutting us off, so yes, SAFETY FIRST, WE MUST SLOW DOWN. 7) When we pull off the road into a bus bay to service, We must wait for a caring and patient motorist to let us back in, so that may hold us back a minute here, a minute there. 8) operators are human, they must eat/drink and even use the restroom at some point during their 8-12 hours shift. Sorry, thats just natural... With the way the city/federal wants to save money for "the rail" project, They are cutting the route times on some routes, SO YES, some buses don't have a chance with reduced route times and construction increasing.. NOT DRIVERS FAULT NIGHT TIME: BUSES ARE MORE PROMPT AND TIMELY AS A DECLINE IN ABOVE FACTORS ARE REDUCED TREMENDOUSLY OPERATORS: 1) EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO A BAD DAY ONCE IN A WHILE. IT'S JUST LIKE THE PASSENGERS ARE ENTITLED TO THEIRS. 2) There are good and there are bad. that's just the way it is. 3) If you encountered a bad driver, DON'T take it personally. You only had to deal with that 1 driver, but you may be his 400th passenger of the day, and one or some of those previous passengers could have spoiled his day. OR maybe he had to avoid getting involved in a few accidents, because of terrible motorists, not caring for the operators safety nor the passengers safety. 4) Driver didn't "welcome" me when greeted. Like the previous post. maybe he told the first 100 people good morning and none or a select FEW responded. SO WHY waste his/her time. FEELS USELESS. 5) ask for help, majority will help you with directions, informing you of your drop off point. just don't forget to thank the operator. very simple. 6) There are riders out there that just likes to complain about everything. So yes, we may group the whole general public as ungrateful complainers at times. COMPLAINTS: COMPLAINTS are easier now, than ever, to make these days. Whether it's online or phone. But there are people who complains against operators just because they have nothing better to do.. EXAMPLE RUNNING LATE, WHEN THE RIDER IS WAITING AT THE BUS STOP, meanwhile, the rider sees both or all 3-4 lanes of traffic is not moving BUS DRIVER WAS RUDE BECAUSE HE DIDNT ACCEPT MY EXPIRED TRANSFER. we don't accept transfers that has been expired half of the day.. ANYWAYS COMPLAINTS REALLY doesn't do any good. Operators are trying their best to offer a timely and safe vehicle. Having complaints could have an effect on the drivers attitude that day. DOES THE OPERATOR GET IN TROUBLE? We are all adults, so we don't get spanking or scoldings anymore. We do get an interview of what happened. And if it aint on camera, then basically your complaint has no merit. If the operator is extremely doing improper acts or conducts, THEN IT'S HIS OWN DAMN FAULT IN PUNISHMENT read more

Very easy, fast and comfortable way to get around waikiki and honolulu. Drivers were always very kind and helpful. Furthermore it is a rather cheap alternative to all the cabs and overpriced tour buses. read more

With the recent changes to bus transfer policy, this is just not worth the comfort to cost exchange. It's actually more expensive if you don't travel at least 11 miles on a low gas mileage car. A round trip of $5 is to expensive when you could get over 30 miles with a good gas mileage car. On top of not having to deal with cockroaches, dirty seats, seat availability, uncomfortable seats, smelly passengers, timeliness and rude drivers. And a long list of other obvious things you have to deal with when using public transportation. In conclusion, unless you're riding a long distance that requires two or more buses to get there or you get a bus pass and use it every day. It's just not a cost efficient/comfortable means to travel. Short travels like errands or grocery shopping should be in a vehicle you control. Even if you're here on vacation/visiting just get a car if you have a valid US driver's license. read more

Okay first of all the bus is a rip off and second almost all the bus drivers are rude I mean seriously what is there deal..