Hawaii Police have issued nearly 6,000 citations on Daniel K. Inouye Highway since stepping up enforcement in August.
Since Aug. 15, police have issued 5,915 citations and arrested 58 people on 104 offenses in an effort to promote safety during the occupation of the Maunakea Access Road by opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope, who have blocked the road since July in an effort to protect the mountain, seen as sacred by some, from further desecration by construction.
Of the citations so far, 454 were issued since Oct. 24. The majority of the citations were for speeding, with 194 people cited for speed offenses, and an additional 139 cited for regulatory violations.
The remainder of the citations were for driving without insurance (31 citations), without a license (20 citations), without a seat belt (29 citations), without a license plate (nine citations), with improperly tinted windows (eight citations), while using a mobile device (six citations) and having an unsafe vehicle (13 citations).
There were also five cited for other moving violations.
Also since Oct. 24, seven people were arrested for 20 offenses on Saddle Road. Nine of the offenses were contempt of court or failure to appear warrants, and an additional six were for various drug and alcohol offenses: DUI, driving with an open container, promoting a dangerous drug, promoting a harmful drug, promoting a detrimental drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The remainder of the offenses by the arrestees were minor traffic violations and one case of unsworn falsification.
The Police Department has said the increased enforcement on Saddle Road will continue until the protests end.
