MK Uri Maklev, who chairs the Knesset Technology Committee, convened a session on Tuesday, 14 Cheshvan, to discuss the ‘Rav Kav’ smart card used for the nations buses and trains. Maklev explained “today there are over two million cards in use and one must admit that the card is ineffective and far from smart”. A representative of the Ministry of Transportation attending the session interjected, explaining in the coming two months riders will see a major technological upgrade.
Maklev explained that based on the complaints received regarding the Rav Kav, clearly the card is not technologically advanced, it is not effective and certainly not smart. He added he recently met with Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, who detailed the large investment made in the nation’s public transportation but Maklev feels it is clear that the system has fallen short of expectations.
“Users of the Rav Kav are not interested in graphs, charts, multimedia presentations, budgets or words but commuters are interested in the ride, ease of use, and discounts. Judging by the results, since the Rav Kav has been put into service, for many, the waiting lines to get on a bus is longer than the ride itself because of the need to validate the ride and the many malfunctions pertaining to the card. Despite the deadline for correcting the problems with the Rav Kav, not only have we failed to advance technologically, in certain aspects of technology we have regressed and the card is outdated” added Maklev.
Maklev detailed that transportation companies and riders have documented an array of issues with the Rav Kav including technological issues, lack of synchronization, failure to credit the card to existing fares, the lack of united service centers for all the transportation companies, and the lack of transparency, meaning one cannot know how many fares remain.
Maklev stresses the need for one card for all the public transportation in Israel to enable the smart card to become one’s ‘wallet’ for transportation instead of the current situation which compels one to charge the card with the various companies and route fares.
Shai Gerbi, who heads the technology branch of the Ministry of Transportation presented the various technologies available today including the ability of charging one’s card remotely. He added that the ministry is working to enable riders to charge their cards at one locale, and today, there are already 100 ‘Kol Kav’ stations which permit charging one’s transportation smart card for all companies in one stop. Gerbi promises major technological advances in the coming two months.
Maklev also expressed criticism over the technological barrier limiting the number of passengers that can be validated on the card for the transfer of one’s ride. He explains one continues a bus trip on the Jerusalem light rail ‘trembles” for they are often caught for doing something wrong and heavily fined”, stating the situation is unacceptable.
Maklev concluded there are many technological solutions and the ministry has presented some of them but unfortunately, the implementation phase is lagging.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Biggest of all problems is simply how long it takes for machine to register the card, when inserted into machine upon entering bus.
No, the biggest problem is on the light rail if you get on and don’t know till you use the card (often when the train is in motion) that there isn’t any money on it. There should be a way to tell when the balance is low or somewhere to top up the card.
To Uri Maklev, a fine person who has a very nice car:
I ride the buses almost every day. I have a Rav Kav and it works fine, but the problem is just waiting to use it. People who do not have ‘chodshis’ must get a receipt and that takes time.
2. to put rides on the card, takes much time for the driver and we have to wait patiently till the card is credited.
It would be better to have two readers, one for cards that require no receipts and are charged, and the other for those who need to pay or get a receipt.