Tel Aviv City Council officials are scheduled to meet on Monday night, February 20, 2012, to discuss Meretz’s push for bus service in the city on Shabbos. Proponents of the move wish to file a request with the appropriate Ministry of Transportation officials to permit operating public transport on Shabbos. Mayor Huldai supports the move.
If the city can show that such a move would be beneficial, the ministry does have the right to approve the request.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
5 Responses
I can already see the scuds falling on Tel-Aviv. Remember Huldai?
This should be an instructive opportunity for Eged and the Transport Ministry to reach workable solutions with the local populations. If the residents and leadership of Tel Aviv want shabbos bus service, they should be able to get it. At the same time, any such service should be conditioned upon the buses avoiding frum neighborhoods on shabbos if that would offend the locals. There is no reason why this cannot be done in a peaceful way that respects the rights of both sides.
With all of Eretz Yisrael problems right now; Tel Aviv wants to increase chillul Shabbos. The are also rockets that can reach Tel Aviv
The same rockets can also reach Yerushalayim and Bnai Brak. Whats your point? Do you really think the Iranians will retarget their missiles because the ehrliche yidden in Tel Aviv ride the bus on shabbos (rather than taking Taxis or driving their own cars as the do today).
#2 – There is a huge problem here. Namely, that, I believe, a significant percentage of bus drivers – also in Tel Aviv – are shomrei shabbos. And even if not outwardly religious, most of them are mizrachim who are often masoratim and would not want to work on shabbos.
Who do you think drive the buses? The secular Ashkenazi students or their rich parents from Ramat Aviv and Givatayim?