Ozawa Proposes Shopping Cart Controls

Honolulu City Councilman Trevor Ozawa sponsored a bill that would require all retail and wholesale businesses to implement shopping cart containment systems.

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Honolulu City Councilman Trevor Ozawa wants to get a handle on all the shopping carts that are scattered around Honolulu.

Shopping carts are popular with the city’s growing homeless population but have frustrated policymakers like state Rep. Tom Brower of Waikiki, who made national headlines in 2013 for using a sledgehammer to destroy carts.

Finance Committee meeting. Honolulu City Council member Trevor Ozawa1
Honolulu City Councilman Trevor Ozawa wants businesses to ensure shopping carts don’t escape from their premises. Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Ozawa, who represents East Honolulu, introduced a bill on Thursday that would require all retail and wholesale businesses to establish a “removal mitigation system” for shopping carts.

Each business would have to ensure that all carts include its name, address and phone number, as well as a “wheel-locking mechanism that prevents the shopping carts from being removed from the premises of the business.”

Businesses who break the law may be forced to pay up to $2,000 per day.

Ozawa was not available to comment Friday.

Click here to read the bill.

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