The electronic signboard at the No. 7 bus stop on Bethlehem Road indicated that the next bus was due to arrive in 24 minutes. Two old ladies waiting for the bus sat there, covered to the eyes in a vain attempt to shield themselves from the cold wind. Another person waiting asked them if there was a mistake regarding the frequency of the line, and was answered by one of the women in a bitter tone: “These signs are lying!” This happens regularly almost everywhere across the city – electronic signboards providing false information of all sorts about bus arrivals. Sometimes, to complete the picture, the signs just shut down, leaving puzzled passengers a laconic announcement: “Temporary failure.” Too often “temporary” seems to serve as a synonym (or euphemism) for “permanent.” With that in mind, it is not surprising that the one-day Egged drivers' strike that was staged last week raised few signs of solidarity among residents. Egged, a public company, holds a monopoly on all bus lines in the capital (except for lines serving the Arab neighborhoods). According to the conditions agreed upon by Egged and the Transportation Ministry, Egged has to deliver certain goods – including providing a reliable service. Because the ministry has not permitted a system of sherut taxis (like Tel Aviv's) in the city, residents who use public transportation in the capital have no real alternative. Egged has failed to measure up to agreed standards, as evidenced by frequent deviations from the schedules. Waiting for a bus twice as long as expected has become common for many lines. Lines 13, 21, 7 and 18 are among the most egregious offenders, seemingly providing only half the number of buses scheduled. In the case of lines 13 and 21, the problem is particularly acute, as these two are the only lines serving large parts of their routes, leaving commuters no other option. Passengers sometimes wait – in cold, rain or heat – up to 21 minutes for a bus, instead of the expected 12 to 14 minutes. Moreover, Egged has refused to put articulated buses on the 7 and 13 lines, despite frequent complaints that at rush hours – especially in the morning – these buses are jam-packed. In light of the growing discontent among residents, Elad Malka, a member of the Hitorerut Party and a former city councilman, has opened a Facebook page titled Egged Watch, where he invites residents to detail specific cases of bus service problems in the city. Malka says that he was shocked by the number of complaints that flowed in. Earlier this week he took part in a meeting between representatives of the ministry and Egged. “The message of the ministry was very clear,” says Malka. “Egged has to meet the conditions they agreed to when they got this monopoly, or the ministry will turn over some lines to other companies.” Egged lacks as many as 160 drivers to meet the needs of the city, yet many of its drivers are moving to other companies. Private bus companies flourish in the region (but not in the city), enabling their owners to offer better working hours and salaries, and this has induced a significant number of good drivers to leave Egged. Malka says Egged has made little effort to address the problem. The recent recall of retired Egged drivers has not significantly improved the situation and the ongoing driver shortage is a key factor causing the delays and chaos in bus services. Ministry sources suspect that Egged is trying, by creating disorder, to obtain more subsidies from the government, arguing that with the present budget situation, it cannot offer drivers competitive conditions. The ministry's decision to deny Egged the right to operate the new bus line connecting Jerusalem to Ben-Gurion Airport (scheduled to start this month) may be an added factor that led Egged to permit things to deteriorate to the point of last week's strike, which was decided upon by the Histadrut and Egged's drivers' committee in Jerusalem. At the end of the meeting between representatives of Egged and the ministry last week, Egged announced that it would hire 30 new drivers by the end of January, improving the situation. “Hiring only 30 drivers when they lack 160 is less than a drop in the ocean,” said Malka. “The ministry has made it clear that without a significant improvement, lines will be moved to private companies. We hope to see further progress. Meanwhile we call on residents to continue to provide us with information.” A ministry spokesman responded, “We will hold a hearing with Egged and will take a decision following the results of the hearing.”
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)