Free Monthly?

The passengers who will pay hundreds of shekels more in public transportation

The shutdown of the train line between Tel Aviv and Haifa overshadowed one of the problems that bothers the traveling public even before the traffic jams that will be the lot of public transportation users throughout the coming week: the lack of ability to renew the "Monthly-Free" card, due to the expected reform.

For some passengers it is hundreds of shekels

Walla!

Of money

07/24/2022

Sunday, July 24, 2022, 12:54 p.m. Updated: 1:22 p.m.

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As if it wasn't hard enough this week for those who have to drive on the coastal road, they also have to pay more to meet the traffic jams (Photo: Walla! system, Shlomi Gabai)

If you thought that the shutdown of the train for the coming week between Haifa and Tel Aviv, and the unbearable traffic jams on the way to the center of the country, are the only problems for train passengers living in the north, you were wrong.

In addition to the transportation catastrophe that befell them, the passengers whose free monthly pass expired in July had to pay double the price for travel this month, until the new transportation reform "Equal Road" comes into effect at the beginning of August.

Yosef is one of the victims of "Derech Sheveh".

He travels by train every day from the Moshav in the Jezreel Valley to the high-tech company where he works in Tel Aviv, and buys a monthly vacation at the company's expense every month.

"The monthly leave ends at the beginning of July," he said in an interview with Radio North, 104.5 FM.

"I thought well, we'll buy a card for 12 trips for NIS 250, it's worth it and will cover the difference, but they canceled those too.

"I have two options left: either pay NIS 27 per trip, or a daily pass for NIS 39.

.

I have no choice but to go to my employer and ask for the difference, because no one at the Ministry of Transportation thought about us."

Difficult years for public transport passengers: infrastructure works, cancellations, overcrowding and now also without the possibility of discounted tickets for those who do not manage the application (Photo: Flash 90, --)

Why were they not prepared in advance at the Ministry of Transport?

Joseph, of course not alone.

Many passengers on the train and buses found themselves falling between the seats, in the gap between the old fare and the new reform, which was signed at the end of May and is supposed to lower the fares on public transportation.

"Derech Shaveh" will reduce the number of rates that exist today to a single digit number, and it will be possible to buy a ticket for a single trip for NIS 5.5 which will allow unlimited travel up to 15 km, a "daily free" subscription or a "monthly free" subscription at a uniform rate according to distance Travel and geographic location.

A new national free monthly card, which did not exist until now, will cost NIS 225, and will include light rail, metro and cable car.

A ticket including train travel, up to 40 km, will cost 255 NIS, up to 75 km 410 NIS - and over 75 km 610 NIS. In the Negev, the Galilee and in all localities outside the metropolitan areas of Jerusalem, Gush Dan and Haifa there will be a regional free ticket at the price NIS 99, for all trips within a 40-kilometer radius. Those 75 and older will travel for free, and teenagers and adults will receive a 50% discount.

The Ministry of Transportation has not, for some reason, made arrangements to extend the validity of the "monthly free" until the beginning of August, for those whose validity expired during July , do not intend to refund the difference to the passengers who had to pay hundreds of shekels more, but they say that starting tomorrow the passengers will be able to buy the new "monthly free" card on the app.

It turns out that not everyone is able to handle the application of the Ministry of Transport.

"Some people don't know how to use the app," says Yosef.

"I'm young and technological, and I still get into trouble with it. What will older people do, or those who are less technological than me and are unable to handle this cumbersome application? Will they continue to pay double for another week for the card?".

Probably so.

From a test we conducted with Israel Railways, it turns out that in the automatic machines at the train stations, it will be possible to buy a monthly ticket only at the beginning of August, which means that a large number of passengers need to prepare quite a bit of money to make it through the coming week.

"I have to say that this whole business is too complicated for me," admits Maoz Yanon from "Barekvat".

"I can't understand what they did there. I don't think there is anyone who understands. Not the Ministry of Transportation, not the train, and not the passengers. The Ministry of Transportation is making a mess to confuse us, so that we won't notice all the very serious failures there. Soon the term of Merav Michaeli, and this is the only bright spot on the horizon. It was one of the worst transport jobs that were here and I hope that the next minister will not get bored of the passengers and will not try to smear us."

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Minister of Transportation Merav Michaeli.

The reform he initiated is good, but there are quite a few casualties on the fringes - not only temporary ones (Photo: Reuven Castro)

In response, the Ministry of Transportation stated

: "In order to encourage the regular use of public transportation, the Ministry of Transportation allows the purchase of a 'free monthly' subscription that embodies a discount of tens of percent on travel costs. As part of the 'Derech Shaveh' reform, passengers will be able to benefit from a national monthly free subscription that is particularly profitable, allowing Free travel on buses, Matron, cable car and Carmelite, for only NIS 225 per month. Also, for the first time, children and youth will be able to purchase the subscription at a 50% discount.

In preparation for the implementation of the "Derech Sheveh" reform, as previously announced, starting on July 1, no A 'Flexible Monthly Free' subscription card can be purchased, with the aim of creating uniformity in subscriptions starting August 1.

Passengers could continue to purchase trips using 'accumulated value' which embodies a 20% discount or 'daily free'. Also, starting tomorrow (July 25) it is possible Purchase a free monthly subscription at the reform rates using the public transportation payment apps."

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• Israel Railways

• bus

• Public Transport

• Marev Michaeli