One of the good news presented by the leaders of the coalition for change in the new state budget was the preference for public transportation over private vehicles.
The 30 percent jump in road congestion, according to Wise data, since returning from the last closure - necessitates a dramatic change in priorities.
The Ministers of Finance and Transportation declare that they will invest in public transportation and bring about a change in the daily travel preferences of Israelis.
To this end, they will impose a congestion charge, invest in public transport routes and accelerate light and heavy rail infrastructure.
But the biggest danger to macro programs is reality itself.
In the years before Corona, public transport travel reached about a billion a year, with close to 90 percent of them being bus travel.
It is more pleasant to talk about the train, which has the convenient and fast image, but is minor compared to the reality of public transportation in Israel - the buses, which transport mainly young people, the elderly and the poor.
And what is the most important infrastructure for this public transportation?
The drivers.
The condition of bus drivers in Israel is very bad.
The privatization of the bus lines introduced 14 new companies to the industry, along with Egged and Dan.
There are advantages to the move, but there are mostly disadvantages in the field.
The bus drivers became contractor workers.
They move from company to company reluctantly, dependent on the grace of tenders.
They earn very far from the average wage in the public sector (NIS 55 per hour), and their seniority has no meaning.
A veteran and experienced driver, who has been driving on public transportation for about 20 years, usually works under the same conditions as a driver who has just entered work.
Drivers in Israel are also exposed to severe violence, in alarming numbers.
In the past year, thousands of assaults and clashes have been recorded.
About 700 cases required hospitalization of attacked bus drivers - a jump of 20 percent in the number of injuries.
Bus drivers do not receive the same protection as "public servants" receive in legislation, because they are not defined as such by law.
Although they are public transportation in Israel, in practice.
In light of all this data, we will not be surprised by the following figure either: 4,000 bus drivers are missing in Israel.
The departure rate in the various companies reaches 15 percent per year.
This is how we feel: cancellation of trips, congestion on the lines, lateness and lack of professionalism are a matter of routine for consumers of public transportation in Israel.
The deep rift led the Bus Drivers Association in "Power to the Workers" to declare a labor dispute.
Bus lines in many cities will be shut down in the coming weeks, and drivers hope that the severity of the crisis will be clarified for Israeli citizens, and this time seriously.
Talking about smart transportation is definitely important.
To talk about public transport priority and cut out movies from train stations - it's really wonderful.
But all of this will not advance public transportation in Israel even by a millimeter, if there is no immediate investment in protection and the seniority and salary conditions of public transportation leaders: the drivers.
