Dozens of Egged drivers who man bus lines inside Jerusalem
designated for the city's chareidi sector participated in a
meeting--the first of its kind--to inform them of the needs
of chareidi bus riders and the operating guidelines on
special lines.
The meeting, headed by Egged Jerusalem Director Yossi
Chachkes, was held at the Beit Egged lecture hall with
mehadrin transportation activists, public
representatives, regular chareidi bus riders and Egged
professionals on hand. During the course of the meeting the
Admor of Kalev and HaRav Mattisyohu Deutsch, one of the
rabbonim of Ramat Shlomo, presented the drivers with
divrei chizuk and his'orerus.
Chachkes opened the meeting with a description of changes in
bus routes in Jerusalem's chareidi neighborhoods during the
past three years, saying, "Egged is committed to providing
public transportation services for the entire population,
including the chareidi sector."
Advertising executive Benny Gal, director of Pirsum Gal,
delivered a fascinating presentation surveying the chareidi
sector's bus-riding habits. "The chareidi sector plans its
schedule around the bus timetables. Every chareidi passenger
spends large sums of money every year on public
transportation and he expects decent treatment that takes his
needs and sensibilities into consideration."
City Councilor Rabbi Shlomo Rosenstein, charged by the Mayor
to act as liaison between Egged and the chareidi public,
said, "The chareidi public sees riding the bus as a central
part of daily life and therefore it must be treated just like
a member of the household."
Rav Deutsch, who was involved in planning a number of Egged's
mehadrin lines, spoke about the mehadrin lines'
importance to the chareidi sector, calling them "a great
contribution." He also announced the setup of a rabbinical
committee to which drivers' will be able to direct their
complaints.
Other speakers included Rabbi Michah Rothschild, a veteran
transportation activist, Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Direnfeld,
director of Vaad Hachinuch Ha'olami, and Egged passengers R'
Mattisyohu Tanenbaum and R' Binyomin Kirshenbaum.
