Gush Dan bus passengers urged to allow for extra time

Transportation Ministry reforms in bus lines in TA-area get their first real rush hour test; fares increased, lines canceled, transfers allowed.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Egged bus 74 normal day 311 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Egged bus 74 normal day 311
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
The Transportation Ministry called on bus riders in Gush Dan to give themselves extra time to get to work Sunday morning as new transportation reforms got underway.
The reforms, which affected Egged, Dan and Kavim bus lines in the greater Tel Aviv area, included canceled bus lines, changed bus routes, increased fares, new transfer procedures and the relocation of bus stops.
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Changes began Friday morning but Sunday was the first day buses faced normal rush hour traffic and commutes under the new system and changes. A number of small hiccups were reported Friday morning as the changes took effect. Passengers complained of bus delays and magnetic ticket malfunctions.
One passenger told Army Radio on Friday that she had been waiting for a bus for 40 minutes and was afraid she would be fired when she finally arrived at work. Another complained that since his magnetic card was rejected he could not get to and from work because he did not carry small change.
"Of course there are going to be some kinks in the new system, but it seems like a better system than the previous one. I think people should remember that there are more important things to complain about, like cottage cheese prices," one passenger said.
The Transportation Ministry said the problem with ticket readers affected buses only from the Dan company, and that it was being corrected. All local buses in Gush Dan began accepting "Rav Kav" electronic bus tickets, allowing passengers to carry one ticket for any bus.
Free transfers were also implemented between the different bus companies, allowing passengers to switch buses on the same fare 90 minutes from the first boarding.
While some bus lines were canceled, the remaining and new bus lines will come more often and until later at night, with most lines running until midnight.
The fare for a local bus line increased with the rest of the reforms on July 1 from NIS 6 to NIS 6.40.