The spike in ticket prices for the Jerusalem Light Rail at the end of last month has caused significant pushback and sparked a campaign calling on the public to report any problems with the train.
Prices increased to NIS 8 from NIS 6 at the end of February, with no significant change to the service provided.
Travelers transferring from buses to the light rail now need to pay an additional NIS 2 for the transfer.
The price hike is the first in a series, and in April, the prices of Israel Railways and bus rides are also set to increase by dozens of percent.
“We all feel it – insane overcrowding, endless malfunctions, and frustrating delays. And yet, they still charge us NIS 8 for a service that doesn’t even meet basic standards,” Hitorerut B’Yerushalayim said in a WhatsApp group opened to fight the price increase.
“Now is the time to act! How? By reporting as much as possible. The more evidence we gather, the clearer the picture we can present, and the more pressure we can apply for change,” the post went on, followed by a link to a Google form where riders can report problems.
Riders are encouraged to report everything from issues with the frequency of the train to overcrowding.
In protest of the price increase and the light rail christening ceremony that caused train stoppages, attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Transportation Minister Miri Regev, city council members from Hitorerut B’Yerushalayim refused to attend the ceremony.
“It’s completely disconnected from reality to hold a ceremony when service levels are at rock bottom – and even worse, to disrupt service further for the sake of the ceremony, especially at stations serving visitors to Hadassah Ein Kerem [hospital],” said Adir Schwartz, Jerusalem deputy mayor and head of the Hitorerut party.
“If the Transportation Ministry officials were actually on the ground, they would hear countless complaints from Jerusalem residents – 100% justified – about the lack of reliability, low frequency, severe overcrowding, and endless malfunctions,” he added.
'Out-of-touch decision'
Schwartz called on the Transportation Ministry to improve services and initiate a discussion on the price increase in the Knesset.
“It is unreasonable to raise the price of a basic necessity like the Jerusalem Light Rail by 33%, especially when it carries over 180,000 passenger trips every day.
This is an out-of-touch decision – both with the financial situation of Jerusalem residents, who live in a socioeconomic tier 2 city, and with the current level of service provided by the light rail.”
Liam Adiv/Maariv contributed to this report.