This story begins a few weeks ago, when Ashdod resident R’ Moshe Gruenbaum sent his children on the 350 bus to Bnei Brak. The children boarded using one Rav Kav payment card, belonging to the sister. The brother used the card too, paying for both of them on the sister’s card, as is the practice of many children nationwide.
An Egged inspector boarded and when the boy presented the card, the inspector realized by the name and photo it was not the boy’s. The boy explained the card belongs to his sister, who is traveling with him. The inspector explained the boy broke the law by using a card that does not belong to him and he confiscated it, leaving the children without a means to return home.
Hamodia reports it contacted Egged in an effort to retrieve the card. In the letter it pointed out that the card was ‘charged’ and there is a balance on it and therefore, they are requesting the bus company return it to its proper owner.
It would appear that Egged views the case a bit differently, responding that the card was not going to be returned and the youth would be compelled to pay a 5,000 NIS fine for misuse of the card. The letter stated that if the fine was not paid within 14 days of receiving the letter, Egged would use the legal channels available to the company.
In actuality, bizarre as it may sound, Egged is acting as it is compelled to under the law. The problem here lies with the Ministry of Transportation, which felt a 5,000 NIS fine for one using a payment card belonging to another person was reasonable.
In line with the current law, small and large families alike are required to obtain a smart card for each child and then find the funds to fill each card and hope the smaller children do not lose them.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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16 Responses
And, as would seem by the law, if your child does, ch”v, lose their Rav Kav, you must drop everything (including losing time from work) to go to the closest location to get a new Rav Kav. If you live in Yerushalayim, that would be the Tachana Mirkazit or Rav Shefa. If you live outside of the main city, you could lose half a day doing that. Where I live, they do have a place that issues them, but it takes up to 2 weeks to get the card back. Should we have our kids miss 2 weeks of school because they have no personal Rav Kav?
And as an aside, tourists (including people who have been in the country for years but do not have teudat zehut) cannot get any discounts on bus fares on the Rav Kav. That means that a child age 5 has to pay an adult fare because the Rav Kav can only be issued with an adult status. It seems odd to me that the law changed from when we used kartisiot and anybody who was the appropriate age could get the proper hanacha.
Legally egged may be right, and egged are a monopoly and therefore there isn’t much that can be done, however I doubt the child has 5000 shekel, so he will declare bankrupcy and pay egged a shekel a month
I hear
Why are you spewing Loshon Horah about the Rav Kav card in Eretz Yisrael?
Keep the law and teach your children to be honest. The older sister can watch her brothers card the same way she watches hers, it will not get lost.
This story doesn’t make sense because you can get such cards without a picture altogether and use it for several people. The family should sue Egged for false accusation.
I am curious why the rule is like that – in NYC I don’t know any rule against using someone else’s metrocard. I guess there is no particular name on any particular card. Why does each Rav Kav have a particular person’s name? Do different people get different rates? Maybe they don’t want adults using children’s (discounted?) cards? Something sounds unreasonable to me about these rules…..
So if the sister was on the bus and he had her card on him …..
this would get laughed out of court!!!
Ridiculous rule.
The computer should be set up for filling up RavKav cards and Why can’t I use my card to pay for a few people?
This doesn’t make sense. I think some facts are missing from this story. (Was the sister in the back of the bus and therefore the inspector didn’t see her?)
Egged lets people use the Rav Kav to do “pamayim” all the time. I have seen people use it even for four or five people – as long as the card holder is there there is no problem. In fact in such a case, the bus driver will even print you a special receipt so anyone who needs to know can know you used the Rav Kav for more than one fare.
Also, you can request an “Anonymous” Rav Kav for 5NIS. No picture and no name attached to it.
What is shocking is that the writer of this story does not realize that these children were STEALING. No justification.
Crazy tziyonim.
I dont understand someting though – the bus driver always allows someone to use their rav kav card for two people – if this is not allowed why does the bus driver let??
Being that this was the standard practice that everyone did this, the 5000 fine was unjust. Of course legally Egged are within their rights, but they should have given prior warning that as of such and such date, this rule will be strictly enforced and inspectors will be handing out fines.
The problem is that Rav Kav are not tranferable, imagine I have 18 kids under the age of 18,(a few twins and triplets) if I want them all to get cheap fares, I need at least 33 per card, that’s a total of allmost 600 shekel, instaed of just loading 2 cards for 66 shekel, I get 900 shekel a month from datot, how am I to survive?????
Every cat must catch a few mice now and then or the farmer will question the need for a cat. Better to catch a mouse than to take on dog or bear.
I have seen inspectors not follow through when they have caught people riding for free due to fear of confronting the thief. Much easier to harass little children.