Egged spokesman Ron Ratner told Kol Berama Radio on Wednesday morning 6 Teves that he is pained over the one-day strike but the lack of government cooperation towards reaching an agreement has left them without an alternative. Ratner explains that there are talks, albeit few and far between and the drivers cannot continue as they have in recent months.

The Jerusalem Central Bus station has been shut with buses and private vehicles of employees of Egged, not letting other buses into or out of the station, leading to more chaos. Ratner told Kol Chai Radio that police have been asked to intervene by Egged management.

Ratner acknowledges that there are major traffic snarls as a result of the strike as well as the fact many Jerusalemites on Wednesday morning do not have a way to get to shul, school or work as chareidim in the city by and large do not have vehicles and they are heavy uses of the bus services. He explains there is nothing to be done and he and his colleagues are hopeful the one-day warning strike will be sufficient for treasury officials to dedicate the necessary resources to reaching a mutually acceptable agreement with Egged.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)