Some 250,000 students are transported on 10,000 different routes daily in Israel and it appears, at least according to some drivers, many school buses and vans are simply unsafe and unsuitable to transport the children.

A number of drivers from the center of the country explain the pay they receive is so low, there is no possibility of maintaining vehicles at a minimum standard.

Some drivers admit they do not perform periodic inspections of their vehicle as required, while others have ignored their responsibility to install safety devices. “If we have to pay off the inspectors we do, even if it means compromising the safety integrity of the vehicle,” one driver commented.

There are only 10 inspectors to supervise 160 nationwide inspection stations, further complicating matters since even with the best of intentions, government agencies are unable to remain on top of the alarming realities described by drivers.

Veteran drivers explain that anyone can take the 11-day certification course and then compete, making the industry too open and too competitive, resulting in a substandard driver and vehicle.

One person who just completed the course attests to the fact that some of his colleagues in class were regularly using recreational narcotics – adding that this is frightening, to think this person will be transporting someone’s children.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)