Court Orders Bus Company Dan to Pay Passenger $820 for Missed Stops

A small claims court in Petah Tikva has ordered the bus company Dan to pay 3,000 shekels (approximately $820) in compensation to a passenger who documented seven instances where route number 82 buses failed to stop for him. The company must also reimburse the plaintiff, Meir Cohen, for 300 shekels in court fees, according to Bizportal.

Cohen, who commutes to work in Petah Tikva four times a week, stated that for about three months, buses repeatedly passed his stop at Jabotinsky/HaYetzira street, despite his signaling. He claims there were at least ten such occurrences, and he documented seven, including recording bus license plates.

Before suing, Cohen filed seven complaints with the National Public Transport Authority. In several cases, the authority cross-referenced his complaints with the Ministry of Transport's bus movement data and forwarded the materials for administrative review. The judge noted these documents provided "objective confirmation of the plaintiff's version," though not an admission of guilt by Dan.

Dan argued Cohen failed to prove he was at the stop during all incidents and accused him of bad faith, claiming he deliberately accumulated complaints for compensation. The company also suggested Cohen could have mitigated his damages by taking a taxi, thus reducing the compensation amount. The court rejected these arguments, stating passengers are not obligated to pay for taxis when buses fail to stop. While Cohen sought 30,000 shekels, the court deemed it excessive, emphasizing compensation should not be punitive. The judge acknowledged that repeated failures to stop cause not only inconvenience but also lost time and disruption to daily routines, with Cohen reporting waiting an additional 20 minutes for the next bus after each incident.