After the plan to make bus stops accessible to people with disabilities in Israel was not fully completed last year, the Ministry of Transport allocated more than NIS 76 million to 109 local authorities to expand and complete the process.
Since the enactment of the Equal Rights for People with Disabilities Law, the Ministry of Transport has taken upon itself the responsibility for making public transportation accessible, including in areas not explicitly defined in the law. Thus, for example, the law stipulates that the responsibility for making municipal bus stops accessible rests with the local authority, but the Ministry of Transport decided to promote the issue and support the authorities in implementing the accessibility.
Accordingly, over the past two decades, the Ministry has invested NIS 100 million in making about 10,<> city bus stations accessible throughout the country. The accessibility of the stations entails a wide range of actions designed to enable and facilitate access and ease for people with disabilities, including lowering the sidewalk and removing physical obstacles that interfere with mobility in wheelchairs, markings for the visually impaired, and more.
Passengers at a bus stop (archive - the subjects have no connection to the information), Photo: Liron Moldovan
5,852 accessible bus stops by the end of 2025
As part of the accessibility plan, the level of accessibility nationwide was examined, and it was found that although most of the municipal stations were accessible as required by law, there are still stations that are not accessible. Therefore, in March 2022, the Ministry of Transport published a call for proposals to local authorities for assistance in making the stations accessible. The scope of assistance is determined differentially according to criteria defined, including the economic strength of the authority.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev, photo: Assaf Hadar
109 authorities responded to the ministry's request, referring to 5,852 bus stops that met the criteria. The Ministry approved the distribution of the budget accordingly, and for this purpose, NIS 76.4 million was allocated for the implementation of accessibility work, which is expected to be completed at the end of 2025.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev said on Tuesday: "Making public transportation accessible to people with disabilities is a central component of the state's commitment to people with disabilities. We will continue to provide all necessary resources for this important goal." Moshe Ben-Zaken, Director General of the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety: "The Ministry of Transport and Road Safety is doing and will do everything in its power to improve accessibility in public transportation."
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