Rejection of the operation of the train forces many Israelis to return to despairing loads on the country's roads • Passes on public transport: "The absence of the train creates severe discrimination"

• Israel Railways. "Thousands stay at home"

  Photo: 

  Oren Ben Hakun

The decision to postpone the operation of Israel Railways leaves countless Israeli passengers without an efficient and convenient transport solution between cities across the country. Two of them, Nufar Alcabetz and Shimit Notman, share the accumulated frustration of being forced to return to the traffic jams on the roads.

Nofar Alcabetz: Without a train I am a prisoner in my house

For three months now, I've been sitting in a socially and occupationally isolated home from the outside world. Every time when I was told about the train's return to activity I was excited - here, maybe this time, like the rest of the country's citizens, I could go back to my daily routine, self-respect myself and meet my family and friends. Each time, the disappointment is great. As a wheelchair commuter, the train is the only accessible option that allows me to travel between cities, and even within the city where I live. Without a train I am a prisoner in my home, isolated from society and risk losing my livelihood. Until when will we continue to be transparent and irrelevant to decision makers? Every day when the train is rejected, it means that thousands remain at home. The fight for the right to use public transport is a struggle for everyone !.

The writer is a member of the Link 20 movement - the Movement for the Advancement of Young Persons with Disabilities - established by the Ruderman family

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Shimrit Notman: Return the train to me

The last time I saw my team in Live was Purim. Three months have passed since my children returned to school, restaurants and businesses opened and a large part of my friends returned to the traffic jams at the entrance to Tel Aviv.

Even before the Corona, we made sure at least a day's work from home once a week, but for the rest of the time I wandered around the country to meet with travelers, local councils and elected officials. Now I can't go to important meetings and I already missed the first session of a professional course that started last week. My train line from Binyamina to Tel Aviv serves tens of thousands of passengers a day, now stuck in traffic jams or crowded by buses. The absence of the train creates severe discrimination. Tens of thousands of travelers with me cannot return to their routine. Is the state waiting for the economic collapse of more families, especially the periphery? We hope to wake up there soon.

The writer is the CEO of "15 Minutes" to improve public transport and regular passenger on the train