Local Leaders Confront Transportation Ministry Over Service Failures

Mayors and council heads from several Israeli towns, including Beit Shemesh, Ariel, Karnei Shmona, Alfei Menashe, Kedumim, and Kiryat Ye'arim, have lodged a formal complaint with the Ministry of Transportation regarding severe disruptions in public transportation services operated by the company "Tnuufa". The ongoing crisis has significantly impacted thousands of residents, hindering their ability to reach workplaces, educational institutions, and essential destinations like IDF bases and hospitals, thereby disrupting daily life in these communities.

In response to the escalating crisis, the leaders, including Beit Shemesh Mayor Shmuel Greenberg, Ariel Mayor Yair Shtabbon, and Karnei Shmona Council Head Yehonatan Kuznitz, visited the Ministry of Transportation on Wednesday. They demanded immediate action to restore regular, reliable, and continuous public transport services and to resolve what they termed a "governmental failure."

Beit Shemesh Mayor Greenberg stated, "The residents of Beit Shemesh cannot be held hostage by the Tnuufa company. When buses don't arrive, trips are canceled, and residents are left at stations unsure if or when they can reach work, school, or essential destinations, it's a transportation chaos." He urged Transportation Minister Miri Regev to intervene immediately, compel the company to meet its obligations, and reinstate basic, reliable public service for the residents, who he said should not bear the cost of this failure.

Ariel Mayor Shtabbon added, "The residents of Ariel and Judea and Samaria are not abandoned. Thousands of residents are paying the price for the ongoing failure of the Ministry of Transportation, families left without solutions, workers unable to reach their jobs, patients unable to get to hospitals, and IDF soldiers unable to reach bases." He warned that if the Ministry of Transportation does not rectify the situation, they will escalate their protest, emphasizing that residents will not be held hostage by governmental failure.

Karnei Shmona Council Head Kuznitz described the public transportation in the area as being in "complete collapse." He noted that even after significant concessions were made to enable the company to meet its commitments, it still fails to provide the basic agreed-upon service. He called on Minister Regev to intervene immediately, restore regular service, and present a real solution to the crisis, stating they would not accept further promises while residents are left waiting at bus stops.