Egged is making special arrangements to transport thousands of visitors to R’ Shimon Bar Yochai’s grave-site in Meron on Sunday, Lag BaOmer, Secretariat Chairman Gidon Mizrachi told a group of chareidi reporters at Beit Egged. Logistical changes are scheduled to begin on Erev Shabbos and continue through Sunday night.

Mizrachi said that Egged considers chareidi passengers an important target group and special accommodations should be made to meet its needs, including changes in conduct at the management level, the organization level and among drivers. Egged operates 31 specialized bus lines — both urban and interurban — in chareidi areas.

On Motzei Shabbos, Egged buses will depart from Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Ashdod, Elad and Ramat Vizhnitz in Haifa. Over 800 buses will be made available for these routes. A shuttle service will take passengers from the parking areas in Meron designated by the Transportation Ministry up to the grave site. In Jerusalem the Atirot Mada platform for specialty lines (opposite Tamir Halls) will be used as a departure point, allowing Egged to regulate departures and to ensure short waiting times. Line 982 will travel directly from Atirot Mada to Meron via Hwy. 6 and Tzomet Chananiya, with no pickup points along the way.

To accelerate departures, tickets are already available for purchase from drivers on Egged lines in Jerusalem. On Motzei Shabbos and Sunday, ticket holders will be eligible for free fare to the departure point.

“The location of the parking lots in the Meron area causes a certain degree of difficulty for the buses,” said Egged’s northern region manager, Shimon Goldberg, “but this should not cause passengers undue inconvenience.” He is asking passengers to show patience and understanding of the traffic conditions and the obligation to maintain the safety of the thousands of pedestrians crossing the road.

(Dei’ah veDibur)