Due to failures in negotiations with the Transportation Ministry, which is accused of refusing to permit equal travel conditions for residents of East Jerusalem, including in regard to the state of the transport vehicles, infrastructure, and the implementation of new technologies as is customary in the rest of the State of Israel, a strike has been called. The strike will begin on September 9, 2019, and it will bring a halt to all bus service to East Jerusalem.

Strike leaders state, “The severe discrimination between residents of East Jerusalem and the West is also reflected in the low wages for drivers, by tens of percent in the east of the city, and in many cases – which residents of Jerusalem can use only in the area of their residence in the eastern capital, and with the Rav Kav [smart card]. Therefore, they need to buy a second Rav Kav for travel in East Jerusalem.

“After long weeks of negotiations and attempts by the East Jerusalem transportation companies to reach agreement with the Ministry of Transportation, we are compelled to halt service due to the lack of desire by the ministry to transfer funds to East Jerusalem to permit continued operation, and thereby avoiding the immediate collapse of the system”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)