Traffic was congested at the points of entry to Jerusalem and
on the city streets on Shushan Purim, but unlike the
catastrophic traffic of previous years, this year the Traffic
Police was well prepared to keep traffic running more
smoothly.
A few days before Purim, Deputy Mayor Rabbi Uri Maklev asked
the local traffic police to increase its presence at major
intersections and at the entrance to Jerusalem, in addition
to reinforcements in the city's chareidi neighborhoods. Geula
was closed off to all bus traffic, which eased the flow of
vehicular traffic.
At every major intersection traffic lights were turned off
and police were posted to regulate the flow of traffic
instead. This move kept traffic moving much faster throughout
the day, despite the large number of vehicles on the road.
Drivers complained that inexperienced traffic police had been
posted at certain intersections, causing slowdowns but on the
whole things worked much better than in past years.
The police also made advanced preparations to combat the
plague of troublemakers who come to chareidi neighborhoods on
Purim to seed panic and fear and to cause both spiritual and
physical harm.
Police were summoned to several hotspots where fringe youth
had gathered, dispersing the lawbreakers and allowing city
residents to celebrate Shushan Purim in peace.
Dozens of emergency calls around the country also had to be
handled. "The majority of cases involved drunks who fell ill
and car accidents due to reckless driving on streets packed
with people," said Eli Pollak, national volunteer director at
Ichud Hatzoloh.
In Jerusalem more than ten people had to be hospitalized for
excessive drinking and several children were hit by cars in
Geula, Ramat Shlomo and the city's other northern
neighborhoods. "Bechasdei Shomayim no serious
accidents took place despite the reckless driving so familiar
to us on Purim," said Ichud Hatzoloh.
In addition to calls related to car accidents and heavy
drinking, paramedics also responded to incidents resulting
from firecrackers. In Geula an eight-year-old boy required
hospital treatment after a firecracker exploded near his ear.
The incident was one of numerous cases around the country in
which children are injured by firecrackers on Purim and
during much of Adar.
Despite the large number of emergencies, Ichud Hatzoloh
figures said the readiness to handle emergencies was at its
peak and the incidents were handled with speed and
professionalism.
