MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni held a meeting with ranking Egged
officials and decision-makers to help meet the varied needs
of chareidi public transportation users.
Participants at the meeting included Arik Feldman, chairman
of Egged's national secretariat, Zeev Zonenson, director of
the national department of operations, Rabbi Yitzchok Reich,
Rechasim local council head, Rabbi Gafni and his assistant,
R' Shmuel Greenberg.
At the meeting Rabbi Gafni raised various matters in need of
improvement in chareidi areas, such as boosting bus frequency
particularly during peak hours, and setting up a national
information center and a lost-and-found department for lines
in predominantly chareidi areas. Rabbi Gafni noted that the
chareidi sector is the leading public transportation user and
is unparalleled by any other sector, but the level at which
its transportation needs are met is inadequate.
Rabbi Gafni raised a number of problems at the meeting: The
route of Line 497 from Ramat Beit Shemesh to Bnei Brak skips
entire neighborhoods, such as Kehillas Bnei Hayeshivos on
Rechov Nachal Dolav. The line to Ashdod also skips Nachal
Dolav. Line 414 from Ramat Beit Shemesh to Bnei Brak runs
only twice daily. The connection between Bnei Brak and Beit
Shemesh is inadequate, particularly on weekends and Line 417
from Ramat Beit Shemesh to Jerusalem is overcrowded.
Proposals were raised to create direct lines from Ramat Beit
Shemesh to Jerusalem, especially during morning hours, to Har
Nof and Bayit Vegan on weekends and to Modi'in Illit, Elad,
Beitar, Rechasim and Haifa on Erev Shabbos and Motzei Shabbos
and to operate a line to the beach in Ashdod during the
summer months. A request was also made to increase the
frequency of Line 14 from Ramat Beit Shemesh to the train
station.
In the South the chareidi community is satisfied with the
line from Netivot and Tifrach to Jerusalem and the Central
Region, but Ofakim would also like to be included in the
route. Initial permits have been obtained to operate lines
from Yeruchom and Dimona to Jerusalem.
In the North, the Neveh Shaanan community of Haifa sent a
proposal to arrange pickup and drop-off points in the
neighborhood. Proposals were also made to operate a new line
between Rechasim, Modi'in Illit and Elad.
In the Central Region a request was submitted for a new line
connecting Elad to Rechovot and Ashdod.
At the end of the meeting Egged executives informed MK Gafni
they would accommodate a large portion of the requests and
changes would be made in the near future in several
locations. Rabbi Gafni thanked them for their good will and
expressed hopes for effective cooperation between Egged and
the chareidi public.
