Generally speaking, the armor-plated school buses transporting school children in Yehuda and Shomron are taken out of service after a maximum of ten years to ensure the vehicles transporting the nation’s children are roadworthy. While the buses may be used elsewhere, they are not used for school transportation in Yosh.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of funds, today, some of the buses operating in Yosh are indeed over 10 years old, some from 1994-1996.

Council of Settlements official Pinchas Wallerstein last year sent a letter to Ra’anan Dinur, the director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office, explaining there is a shortage of buses as a result  since some of the older buses break down and there are not enough armor-plated buses for the transport of the children in Yosh areas. The armor-plating is a decision of the army due to the realities of traveling the roads near PA (Palestinian Authority) autonomous areas, Israel’s ‘peace partner’.

Wallerstein explains that last year, funding was provided to purchase 18 new buses, permitting them to take the buses from 1992 and 1993 off the road but there are still many, some 13-15 years old, which need to be taken out of service. According to Wallerstein, 67 buses need to be replaced but the Defense Ministry is not forthcoming.

Defense Ministry officials place the blame on the Finance Minister, explaining there is no funding.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)