STORYLINE

Hailoha Defends New Sea Service

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Hailoha is defending it’s new Hailoha-Sea service today, after Mayor Albert Cravalho called for a closer look into the business, and threatened to shut down the water-based ride share service. Launched earlier this month, there have been numerous complaints about Hailoha-Sea drivers from government and law enforcement officials, as well as tourists. Hailoha officials say they are taking swift action to remove problem drivers, and are working with officials to ensure the safety of customers and contractors alike.

Hailoha-Sea was supposed to be one of the most unique and beautiful modes of travel available on the island when it was announced at the end of March. Like the wildly popular Hailoha ride share service, Hailoha-Sea would offer people a friendly and affordable transportation option whenever they needed it, but instead of riding in a car passengers would travel by boat.

“It just seemed like the next evolution of our service,” says Nella Lawe, Hailoha Vice President. “Maui is an island after all. It just makes sense that quick, safe, and affordable water transportation should be available. There are tens of thousands of boats and responsible boat owners that have a chance to supplement their income, and meet new people thanks to Hailoha-Sea. Visitors to our beautiful island can take numerous trips of a lifetime by just getting to their preferred destinations, using our service. On the few occasions when our pilots have not performed to our standards, we’ve taken swift action to rectify whatever issues have arised, and have worked openly with law enforcement.”

Despite Lawe’s assurances there have been numerous complaints about the Hailoha-Sea service including: dangerous night boating, drivers coming up on crowded beaches to pick up passengers, fights over prime territory, and intruding on delicate protected areas. The Coast Guard reports a 80% uptick in emergency calls since the service was launched. Greg Iona from the DLNR says the agency has received dozens of complaints this month. He says, “The preservation zone extends into the water in a number of spots and many of these drivers are disregarding the boundaries to make a quick buck. We’ve had people damage reefs, and just last week we arrested a driver who was charging tourists extra to take them to a protected sea turtle nesting beach. The worst I’ve personally seen is a group who were taking tourists near our resident sea otter pod and selling them clams to feed the otters. Unless there are some major changes, this new Hailoha service is going to turn into a disaster for our delicate natural areas.”

While there have been plenty of complaints about preservation zone infractions, they are a small fraction of the number of objections and allegations made to law enforcement and the mayor’s office. According to Mr. Cravalho, “Someone is going to get seriously hurt or drown.” He adds,

“We’ve had so many calls and complaints that we’ve had very little time for anything else this month. We’ve heard of Hailoha drivers showing up on paddle boards, and over-filling canoes to the point that they sink. There have been cases of boats bumping into each other at high speeds, fighting over dock space in high traffic areas, but at least those idiots were using a dock. We had a guy get stuck on Kalani Beach trying to be the first to pick up a bachelorette party. The waters around Lahaina have become a mess. There’s a local who has tied a bunch of ski tubes behind her boat, and goes up and down the beaches at night, running some sort of party bus service. Do you know how dangerous that is? Lahaina is not that big, and we already have numerous transportation options including: The Veil Stop Network, buses, Manimal public ATVs, and the traditional Hailoha service. Lahaina doesn’t need the dangerous free-for-all of Hailoha-Sea.”

Lawe counters that the number of complaints is actually quite small, compared with the total number passengers the company has ferried around the island. She says that Hailoha has fired anyone who has been ticketed or officially charged with wrongdoing, and the company investigates all complaints thoroughly. “We are determined to work with officials and make the best water-based ride service we can. Hawaii is all about beauty and freedom; and nothing is more beautiful than having the freedom to have a few drinks, and ride an inflatable tube through the water at breakneck speeds, with a dozen strangers back to your hotel.”

STORYLINE

Hailoha-Health Set To Expand To Big Island Despite Concerns

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Hailoha’s latest offering, Hailoha-Health, was launched late last year to much fanfare. The service targeting: healthcare providers, hospitals, imaging facilities, clinics, and those unable to drive themselves to appointments, has driven a rocky road over the past 3 months. Despite numerous complaints about the service, particularly by a wide range of Lahaina medical professionals, Hailoha has announced they plan to expand the service to the Island of Hawai’i by this summer.

Nella Lawe, Hailoha Vice President, says the company saw a need for a healthcare transportation service, and stepped in to fill the gap. “As alarming as it may seem, more than 4 million American’s miss medical appointments because they don’t have access to transportation, or the money to afford the exorbitant price of traditional healthcare transportation. Hailoha-Health has saved lives.”

The company says that Hailoha-Health offers the sick and infirmed a reliable and efficient way to get to appointments. They say patients enjoy that their drivers are their neighbors, making what can sometimes be a anxiety-ridden experience more pleasant. Hailoha says that all their drivers are trained in HIPAA compliance and standards. In addition, the service is designed so medical centers can book rides on behalf of clients using Hailoha’s customer booking dashboard.

“We go to great lengths to protect client privacy. Medical data is never stored or handled by our drivers. The only information your driver ever knows is your name, where you are, and where you need to go. We’re not an ambulance service, but we are handling another type of emergency in the medical field. We’ve already seen a 20% uptick in clients making their appointments thanks to our service, and I’m sure that’s just the beginning,” says Lawe.

However, not everyone believes that the what the company is offering is good medicine. Many healthcare professionals have lodged complaints about the service, drivers, and Hailoha business practices. Lahaina Medical Center Director Dalia Forsythe is one of the company’s most vocal critics, saying the company, “isn’t offering the cure to anything but common sense.”

“There is a reason that healthcare regulations exist. It takes a long time to grasp the ins and outs, learn all the HIPPA rules, and become certified in basic first aid, including CPR. To say that these drivers can learn everything they need to know in one afternoon of instructional videos is ridiculous! It’s not just patients that are in danger either. Hailoha says their service is restricted to people only, but drivers routinely make deliveries of tissues, and even organs from facilities trying to save a dollar. I’ve personally witnessed a driver pull donated corneas from a cooler filled with beer, and I’ve heard of drivers losing biopsy tissues on the way to a lab. Hailoha says that they are not an ambulance service, but I’ve seen many patients in dire need of medical attention try to save a little money by calling them, instead of an ambulance. People have absolutely died because of that choice. I agree that there is a real issue here with regard to transportation, but we’re not going to fix the problem with just a band-aid and Hailoha-Health.”

Despite Dr. Forsythe’s misgivings the service has grown substantially since the beginning of the year, and is quite popular not only with those in need of transportation, but with drivers themselves. Local resident and part-time Hailoha-Health driver Randy Wilcox says it’s a great way to give back, and learn about your neighbors in need. “To tell you the truth, I’d do this for free,” he says.

“I have friends who are Hailoha drivers and love it. My buddy Mark had been trying to get me to drive for close to a year. He said it was fun, and an easy way to make a little extra money, but it seemed kind of boring to me. Then I heard about Hailoha-Health, and I knew I had give it a try. I was not disappointed. Sure, there’s lots of calls from old people who need to go get their meds, or get that spot on their leg looked at, but you can just decline those jobs. I hang out by the cliffs, or the beach when the surf is big, anywhere I think people could get injured, and it’s paid off. I love the controlled chaos of an emergency call. I can drive as fast as I need to, cut through parks, down closed trails through the preservation zone, and get paid when I’m done. Just last weekend I had to drive through two different soccer games, while taking a shortcut for a woman who’s ankle looked broken. It was exhilarating! Of course the police say that driving people to the hospital for a living is no excuse for “reckless driving”. I’m fighting the tickets though, and I’m sure the judge will see it my way once I explain everything to her. As long as I still have a license, I’m going to keep driving Lahaina’s most injured, at a high rate of speed, to the medical facility of their choice. It’s been awesome so far!”

Hailoha says the new service will debut in Hilo June 7th.

STORYLINE

Officials Say Unwitting Driver Helped Thieves In Burglary Spree

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Lahaina Police arrested three men late Sunday evening for breaking into at least 4 homes in the Black Rock Beach area, and stealing property. 28-year-old Tim Luahi and his cousin 25-year-old Ollie Luahi are facing multiple counts of robbery and grand larceny, but it is the role of the third man, 30-year-old Mark Me’e that has everyone talking. A driver for Fleetaleet, a commercial freight spin-off of the popular Hailoha ridesharing service, Me’e claims he had no idea that his customers were thieves, and thought he was just helping them clear out a number of newly purchased homes. Police say there are no charges filed against Me’e, and he was released soon after his arrest.

Launched last year, Fleetaleet offers a “quick, and affordable solution to anyone needing last minute, or infrequent commercial trucking services,” according to Nella Lawe, Hailoha Vice President. She says, “Drivers get sick, trucks breakdown, automated trucking is expensive, and long-term leasing can be a hassle. We recognized a need in the market for real-time freight services and took advantage. Fleetaleet has provided hundreds of companies with on-demand trucking solutions, and moved millions of pounds of their goods safely, and in a timely manner. Our drivers are safe, and we have a higher customer satisfaction rating than any traditional freight company.” Nonetheless, there are many homeowners this morning who are not singing the company’s praises.

According to Me’e the night started out as any other, until he got an alert that someone was in need of a box truck. “I had been shuttling people all day from the beach to hotels and locations along Front Street. I was getting pretty burned out, and then I saw someone needed a moving truck and driver for a 4 hour job. I thought it’d be a great way to break up the monotony, and end the night with a big job. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened.” Mark says he met the Luahi’s at a beach house North of Black Rock Beach, and while nothing seemed unusual at first, the night began to take a strange turn. “Maybe it was just because I was so tired that I wasn’t thinking straight or something, but I really didn’t think anything was wrong until I saw the police lights.”

From his statement to the police:

“I arrive at the address I was given to find two guys wearing half face tactical masks, and standing by a pile of electronics and some rolled up rugs. I joked with them that I just drove the truck, and didn’t know anything about robbing banks. They said they were from the mainland, and were worried about catching the flu, and the masks were the only thing available at the veil station shop. They explained that they had just purchased a bunch of investment properties in Lahaina, and needed to do walk-throughs and make sure nothing was left behind. They loaded up the truck, and off we went to the next location.

They didn’t seem to have the right addresses, and we drove around for a while, but I didn’t mind too much because the meter was running. We finally got to the next home, and I waited for them to do their inspection. Again, they came out with a bunch of electronics and a jewelry box this time. I remember thinking that whoever left their jewelry behind was an idiot. In retrospect, I guess I was the idiot.

This went on for a while. I’m not sure exactly how long because I was so tired. I did think it was strange that they never brought out any furniture, and almost asked about it, but thought maybe they were planning on renting some of the places furnished. At this point I could barely keep my eyes open, and asked how many more houses they needed to clear out. They said there was one left; so we headed out.

I guess I had fallen asleep waiting for them, because the next thing I know there were lights everywhere, and someone is screaming for me to get out of the truck. Before I can do anything, the window shatters, and I’m face down in the driveway with a taser in my back. Not only did I not end the night with a big payday, but I’m tangled up in some sort of burglary ring in my hometown. I’ve gone out on some bad calls before, but this one takes the cake.”

Police say this is not the first time they have run into trouble with criminals using Fleetaleet for illegal activity. There have been numerous incidents of the company’s drivers being hired to transport stolen property, black market goods, and even drugs. Fleetaleet says they have a vetting process in place for drivers, and follow all applicable laws. Despite their assurances, Mayor Albert Cravalho says the company needs to do more to ensure the safety of the public.

“All a person needs to be a Fleetaleet driver is: an internet connection, access to a commercial vehicle, and the ability to click yes to a series of questions,” says Cravalho. “A 17-year-old boy, registered as a driver with Fleetaleet, rolled a tanker truck on the Honoapi’ilani Highway a few weeks ago just South of town. The spill shutdown traffic for hours as the site was cleaned. They can, and need to do better. I’m a little more understanding with them when it comes to this robbery thing. Clearly, this Mark guy needs to find wherever he put his common sense, and the company needs to reassess if this line of work is for him. If it was me, I wouldn’t hire him if he was the last driver left on Earth.”