The biggest transportation reform of recent years will come into effect tomorrow (Monday) in Israel.
This is about simplifying prices in a market where there were about 80 different travel rates between different cities, as well as within regions according to socioeconomic level or according to the power of political pressure groups, for example in the ultra-Orthodox areas.
The reform unifies the fares, so that the price is now based on the distance from the starting point.
In this way, it is possible to switch to a predefined payment system that is not based on cash payment, but on tickets that will be sold and reflect the distance traveled by the passenger.
In other words, a bus ride within a range of up to 15 km will cost NIS 5.5 and will allow unlimited passage between lines within 90 minutes. A regional bus within a range of up to 40 km will cost NIS 12 and a ride within a range of up to 120 km will cost NIS 16. Above 120 km the trip will cost NIS 27.
In Israel Railways, the prices will be more expensive, but also based on distance.
The form of payment
One of the great news of the reform is the abolition of cash payment.
Now, the payment will be possible in the public transport payment apps - "Mobit", "Rav-Pass", "Pango" and "Selo" (formerly Slopark), the reason is that the apps that will pay at the end of the month will alone calculate for the passenger the best form of travel or payment both by Monthly free or daily free etc.
The applications will also be updated with the many discounts for eligible persons such as the disabled, teenagers or adults and will calculate the required discounts on their own.
Multi-line bus ticket, photo: Lior Mizrahi
In fact, the user will be able to see the details of his trips throughout the month when the maximum cost will not exceed the free monthly price, that is, NIS 225 for the whole month.
This is of course without including the train travel costs which are different.
Free Monthly
One of the big changes made possible by the price reform in public transportation is related to the prices - free-daily and free-monthly.
If until now there were different prices according to regions.
Now, a national monthly pass with no limit will cost only 225 NIS and a national monthly pass combined with train and bus will cost from 255 NIS for a range of up to 15 km, up to a maximum price of 610 NIS without any range limit in the entire country.
A soldier gets on the bus (photographer has no connection to the news) // Photo: Yehoshua Yosef,
Bottom line, the public transportation reform in Israel reduces the reality in which there are currently 80 public transportation rates across the country in which situations where the same length of road costs different passengers in different places in the country.
The big losers
Among other things, there are also losers such as the residents of the cities where a lower rate of travel within or outside the city was customary.
Also, other losers are the residents of the periphery who until now had low fares for the long trips to the localities which will be calculated according to the travel distance.
Also, Yosh residents who received a 50 percent discount on paying in cash will lose, and now with the cessation of cash payment, this discount will stop. In addition to that, there were a series of discounts on daily and monthly holidays until now in the arrangement of accumulated value in advance on Rabbi Ko cards of various kinds. This is a 20 percent discount - an addition to the money accumulated on the card. This discount is now disappearing and replaced by the daily free/monthly free arrangements where the new discounts are different and not at the same rate.
who benefit from the reform
Heavy users of public transportation will be able to cross lines at the same price within 90 minutes and they will also pay less, especially in the center of the country.
Teenagers also get a 50 percent discount on all rates in Israel.
People with disabilities, who received a 33% discount, will receive a 50% discount;
Senior citizens will continue to receive a 50% discount as it was until now;
And also, citizens aged 75 and over, who will from now on travel completely free of charge on public transport.
Traveling by bus (archive), photo: Yehoshua Yosef
The organization 15 Minutes, which deals with the public transportation crisis in Israel, said: "Tomorrow, August 1, the "Derech Shaveh" reform will come into effect. The reform actually changes the pricing system, and unifies it into 5 rates, instead of dozens of rates that existed and mainly made a lot of mess. Ultimately, the goal of the reform is to encourage you to use public transportation more by purchasing monthly contracts - something we welcome.
"The problem is that the reform leads to a significant increase in the price of the train, and therefore pushes more to use buses, most of which are already blown up. Bottom line, the change in the price system must be carried out to improve public transportation, and the money that comes from it from those who are expected to pay more, must go to the budget for the Israel Defense Forces - and not to other factors," the organization said.
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