Starting today, drivers experiencing car trouble on H-1 or Moanalua freeways will likely be greeted by a shiny white tow truck emblazoned with the words "Freeway Service Patrol," part of the state's roadside assistance program created to reduce traffic and accidents.

The two-year pilot program offers free services to stalled or disabled vehicles on the busiest parts of the two highways during the hours of heaviest traffic.

From 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, those with disabled vehicles on H-1 or Moanalua Freeway between Kamehameha and Likelike highways can call 911, and the Police Department will contact the service patrol on the driver's behalf. The patrol consists of six tow trucks continually driving along the designated highways looking for motorists in need.

About 203,000 cars a day travel H-1, said Derek Inoshita, Department of Transportation information specialist. For such a traffic-dense area, towing will be much more effective when the trucks are patrolling, said Conrad Nakoa, owner of Island Wide Towing, the company supplying the freeway patrol dispatch and staff.

"Everybody has a cell phone, but they usually have to shop around for some kind of towing service," Nakoa said. "The response you're going to get during rush hour is between half an hour and two hours. Now, a truck will be passing you every 20 minutes."

The Department of Transportation awarded the contract for the freeway service patrol to Telvent Farradyne Inc., which specializes in intelligent transportation systems worldwide and will collaborate locally with Island Wide Towing.

Harvey Heaton, the Telvent project manager and a retiree from California's highway roadside assistance program, said California's patrol tow trucks encounter about 75 percent of incidents before they're reported.

Patrolling roadside assistance has been used to relieve traffic congestion in several cities in California including Los Angeles, as well as cities in Florida, Maryland and New York.

The goal of the Hawai'i program is to quickly clear the freeway so traffic doesn't back up, and to minimize secondary accidents. If the pilot program is successful, the DOT hopes to continue and expand it. The total two-year cost amounts to about $3.9 million, with $3.51 million coming from the federal government and the remaining $390,000 from the state.

Services offered include changing flat tires, jump-starting vehicles, refilling radiators, towing and minor repairs. If patrollers can't start a car, they'll tow it to an off-freeway location. They are not allowed to take drivers to repair shops or home. Patrollers are not allowed to receive payment or tips.

Island Wide Towing interviewed 30 different people for 13 patroller spots and has since trained them in towing, first aid, fire extinguisher use and hazardous material recognition, Nakoa said. Drivers can identify patrollers by state-issued identification as well as by their Freeway Service Patrol vehicles.

Gov. Linda Lingle applauded the department's decision to implement the program, relating a story about how she got stuck on H-1 with a flat tire soon after moving from Maui.

"It's a frightening experience," she said.