Palestinians Can Travel On All Public Transport Lines

5 March 2013

Minister Of Transport: Palestinians Can Travel On All Public Transport Lines In Israel

Following the start of the new bus services in Samaria in the West Bank, the Minister of Transport, National Infrastructures and Road Safety, Israel Katz, instructed the Ministry's Director-General, Uzi Itzhaki, to ensure that Palestinians entering Israel are able to travel on all public transport in Israel, including all lines operating in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). He also told the Director-General to immediately increase the number of buses that have begun operating on the new routes to replace "pirate" operators.

The Minister of Transport directed the Ministry's Director General to ensure that all announcements regarding the new lines that began operations today, will be posted in both Hebrew and Arabic, and to ensure that the service will be unrestricted and equal for all populations. Itzhaki has also been instructed to closely follow operation of the new service and to take into account any changes that need to be made for improving the service for all public transport users.

The new bus lines are intended to serve the Palestinian workers entering into Israel via the Eyal Crossing and are meant to replace the pirate operators who transport the workers at inflated fares of tens of shekels.

The new subsidized bus lines will take the workers to their places of employment in the Sharon and Tel Aviv areas at significantly reduced fares. The fare from Tzofim to Kfar Saba or Ra'anana is just 5 shekels (USD 1.3), and from Tzofim to Tel Aviv NIS 10.6 (USD 2.9).

ENDS

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