New Maui Buses to be Unveiled at Open House

Maui bus. File photo courtesy Office of Council Services.

Residents and bus riders are invited to an open house for the Maui Bus system’s two new buses from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, at the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center bus hub.

“We’re excited to share these new buses with our Maui Bus riding community,” said Maui County Department of Transportation Director Marc Takamori. “People can come, ask questions and see the interior of the new buses for themselves. We’re particularly excited for wheelchair bus riders because they’ll be able to use the new electronic Quantum system to automatically secure them for a ride with a touch of a button.”

“We believe this new system gives our wheelchair-using bus riders greater empowerment for their convenience and safety,” Takamori said.

Also attending the open house will be department Deputy Director Michael Du Pont, Don Eaton of Qstraint, Erik and Gus Soderholm of Soderholm Bus & Mobility and Maui Bus Manager Kris Kim.

These new buses will be deployed for the Kihei Islander and Lahaina Islander routes, at least initially.

The buses are 40-foot-long Eldorado transit buses, which are replacing buses that have been on the long-haul fleet for the transit system’s fixed routes. The new buses are much needed because the last time there were replacement buses was in 2006. The new buses are more quiet, and they have improved interior lighting.