Agreement has been reached between several dozen activists and a number of parties running in the elections, to significantly increase public transportation on Shabbos to and from Haifa. Most of the activists are from northern Israel and if they succeed, they will trample the Shabbos status quo in affected areas.
According to the News1 report, 90% of the inter-city buses that operate during the week will be running on Shabbos, albeit on limited schedule, with the exception of the Kiryat Shmuel area of Haifa. Bus service will run to Akko, Nahariya and even Hadera. It appears the long-standing so-called religious status-quo is being discarded towards providing Shabbos bus service for those who want it.
The report states agreement has also been reached to expand “night lines” operating in northern, central and southern Israel. The “night lines” are designed to permit people out on the town for the night to return home safely, without driving or hitchhiking. The report states the night lines will operate on Shabbos in Tel Aviv, Beersheva and Herzliya as well.
The daily HaMevaser reports at least three political parties will be signing this transportation agreement in the coming days and this includes both left and right-wing parties.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Please inform the public which parties will be agreeing to this.
Why don’t these political parties focus on the REAL problems of EY including jobs for Chareidim,food and housing prices and national security issues and stop wasting time on trying to legislate religious observance one way or another. If chilonim want to ride the bus on their day off from work, let them do so. If you want to discourage riding, show them the beauty of menuchas Shabbos instead of shutting down public bus service and forcing them to find private forms of transportation. Cannot these Chareidi parties simply focus on real issues and back off their obsession with legislating shamiras Shabbos.
#2 they know the beauty of Shabbos-and have REJECTED it!Let them slide down the ubforunate slope of their choosing. “Haleetaihu Lrasha Vayamos”