The public transportation discount reform that will be launched in 10 days will receive a second push later this year, which will include free rides for the elderly from the age of 62 instead of the current age of 75, and 50% discounts for residents of weak neighborhoods in strong cities.
This is what Transport Minister Miri Regev promised today, when she presented the "Transportation Justice" reform she initiated, on the grounds that the price reform initiated and carried out by her predecessor Merav Michaeli and previous Transport Minister Avigdor Lieberman gave discounts to the residents of the center at the expense of the periphery.
The first phase includes free travel for veterans and graduates of the national service, one year from the day of their release.
According to the calculations of the Ministry of Transport, this is a discount of NIS 1,188 to 7,230 per year.
In addition, young people aged 18 to 26 will receive a 33% discount on fares, which should save them between 392 and 2,415 shekels.
As in the case of veterans, the maximum discount will be received by those who use it for the more expensive train trips.
National insurance claimants and those with disabilities, who already receive a 50% discount on the purchase of accumulated value for individual train journeys, will now receive the same discount on the purchase of free monthly routes.
Minister of Transportation and Road Safety: "Distorted reform facilities"/Ministry of Transportation
But the most significant benefit is for settlements ranked 1-5 in the geographic periphery, with the exception of strong settlements ranked in clusters 9-10 in the economic-social index: a 50% discount on public transportation fares.
As published in Vala, these are cities and towns such as Beer Sheva, Kiryat Shmona, Tiberias, Arad, Ofakim, Nativot, Rahat, but without established peripheral settlements such as Kfar Vardim and Omar.
In the second phase, which should take place in July, the free ride on public transportation should be extended to senior citizens from the age of 62 instead of the current 75 years.
In addition, residents of neighborhoods rated 1-5 in the economic and social index will also start receiving the 50% discount.
Regev gave up on the plan to grant blanket discounts to residents of Bnei Brak and Jerusalem, but most of them will now receive it according to the neighborhood where they live, alongside weaker neighborhoods in Tel Aviv, for example, such as the Hatikva neighborhood.
Public transportation on Shabbat? "We live in a Jewish country and there will be no public transportation on Shabbat, there are other solutions"/Noa Tanoa
"We are correcting a distorted reform implemented by the previous government and I promised to correct it as soon as I return to the Ministry of Transportation," Regev said today.
"The expense on a car is the second largest after housing. It is a heavy expense for young people who need a car to get to work, and now we make it easier for them to give it up, save on expenses, and get used to using public transportation."
However, Regev clarified to Walla's question that the need to provide public transportation for young people will not lead to the operation of public transportation on Shabbat, or to changing the law so that it is possible for companies interested in this to operate paid bus services on weekends.
"We live in a Jewish country and there will be no public transportation on Shabbat, there are other solutions."
Professionals as well as passenger surveys by the Public Transportation Authority have repeatedly clarified that low frequency, lack of public transportation lines and routes bother them more than the fares, which in Israel are relatively low in most of the world.
"We have a survey that was answered by 150,000 passengers who said that if the prices were lowered, they would use the buses more. I also understand the importance of the frequency and service additions, and I will fight for funding for them in the next budget."
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Miri Regev
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