First Egged refused the push for mehadrin service on the number 2 bus in Yerushalayim, to and from the Kosel. After a private service began competing under the mehadrin platform, Egged used legal means to halt the service; pointing out to mehadrin activists they may not run a competitive line.
Seemingly unwilling to be outdone and to be defeated, the mehadrin organizers at the end of last week launched the new alternative to Egged’s number 2, offering separate seating for men and women, for free. That’s correct; the bus is operating without charging passengers, a move that mehadrin organizers insist makes the bus route legal, determined to put Egged in its place.
The move will undoubtedly leave Egged’s number 2 bus with a sharply reduced number of riders and those without a monthly pass may ride for free by opting to avail themselves of the mehadrin alternative.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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4 Responses
I am proud for the chareidim standing up for their rights. Yes, possibly lehalacha a segregated bus is not necessary, but many people are willing to impose extra kedusha on themselves. Egged decided to continue to force their doctrine on them, and they will succesfully fight back!
We all know that if the arabs were the ones demanding separate buses they would be granted immediately.
The war between those that are trying to destroy yiddishkeit and those that want to preserve it is just heating up. The frum will join together, and its ironic that the frei are just causing more achdus. The day will come when the frum will be granted autonomy within the medina.
As for a well managed western state, the West allows for a lot more religious accomodations than the State of Israel. They should learn about religious freedoms. The State makes accomodations for the Muslims, but not the Chareidim.
Don’t forget that Egged’s monopoly contract is up for renewal very soon.
This is also very important because the city has announced plans to force the charedim to ride the super-treif ‘rakevet ha kala’ once its built instead of their nominally more kosher lines.
It’s all part of the anti-religious plot that was hatched back when Ulmert was mayor and continues being carried out…
People don’t have food to eat and this is where the money goes, to “put Egged in its place”?
How can a tram be super-treif???