A recent survey revealed that in the United Kingdom there are
about 600 vehicles on the road for every 1000 people. A
similar survey in Israel revealed that there are only 250
cars on the road for every 1000 people. However, in chareidi
circles, where car ownership is proportionately even lower,
there are only a mere 50 cars for every 1000 people. The
result: Chareidim are the heaviest users of public
transportation in Eretz Yisroel.
Despite the huge numbers of chareidi public transport users,
the Egged bus company makes insufficient provision for the
heimishe traveller. For example, there seem to be no
rules to restrict the numbers of riders on a bus in Eretz
Yisroel. A bus travelling to the Kosel from central
Yerushalaim on erev Rosh Chodesh Elul was found carrying 106
people, although its capacity was 44 (seated).
There is also the issue of the chareidi passenger. Egged
buses are used by all sectors of Israeli society, and the
routes pass through secular neighborhoods, exposing the
chareidi passenger to sights that are anathema to him. Also,
every bus is fitted with a speaker system attached to a radio
and passengers must often listen to broadcasts that are
offensive. Many a foreign visitor has remarked on this
unacceptable way of transportation, which has become a way of
life for the commuting chareidi in Israel.
Similar problems and their devastating consequences are what
prompted New York askonim nearly 40 years ago to
establish a private bus service. When askonim in Eretz
Yisroel tried to institute a similar project 20 years ago,
their efforts were unsuccessful. However, it is now nearly 10
years since the founding of the Vaad Mehadrin Be'eretz
Hakodesh and boruch Hashem, the strength of the group
gathers momentum with each new route instituted and every
journey made by its buses.
These mehadrin buses cater to the chareidi passenger
and travel exclusively through religious areas. They have
separate seating, separate doorways for men and women, and
there are no radio broadcasts. The most popular route is the
No. 402 from Yerushalaim to Bnei Brak with over 100 buses in
daily use carrying some 4000 commuters. The No. 350 bus which
travels from Bnei Brak to Ashdod, makes 120 daily journeys
and the No. 450 bus from Ashdod to Yerushalaim makes some 30
journeys each day. Similar services are also running in the
newly established areas of Beitar and Beit Shemesh. The
numbers are astronomical: there are now 500 mehadrin
buses with over 20,000 journeys travelled each day.
The Vaad Mehadrin Be'eretz Hakodesh has indeed met with much
success. However, the hurdles they continue to face with each
new route are almost unbelievable. Public transportation in
Eretz Yisroel is headed by Egged, which up to now has enjoyed
a monopoly. However in recent years the government has moved
to privatize public transportation and it has opened up
several routes to public bidding. In every case the private
winner has been able to provide better service at reduced
prices compared to Egged.
Three years ago, when the Vaad opened the mehadrin bus
route from Bnei Brak to Ashdod, the protests were so quick in
coming that the buses were cancelled on the very same day.
Shinui's Tommy Lapid, Meretz and other government officials
called this a "black day." It was only after six months of
legal intervention that the Vaad was successful in reopening
this route, which remains one of the most popular in the
country.
Egged continues to promote itself, spending $300,000 annually
on its advertising campaign designed to reach the chareidi
passenger. The Vaad counteracts this battle by displaying
prominent advertisements of its own. All the gedolei
Yisroel have issued their strong support and describe
this monumental project as hatzolas nefoshos and
binyan Beis Hamikdash. Various rabbonim have travelled
on these buses to demonstrate their personal involvement.
Indeed, the kiddush Hashem is evident all the time.
There are two buses that commute from Ashdod to Bnei Brak
each morning with a travelling Shacharis minyan on
board. The bus stops halfway, but no one gets off since this
no rest stop: the stop is for Shemoneh Esrei.
The Vaad's latest project is establishing urban buses within
Yerushalaim itself which will travel through religious areas
only. Despite the difficulties and the large financial outlay
this project entails, they are not fazed. The Vaad's
organizers continue to battle this war and will not accept
anything short of their goals.
