Israel Offers Free Intercity Travel on Election Day
Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba
Israel will provide free intercity bus and train travel on election day, October 27, to help voters reach polling stations. The initiative, costing 3.5 million shekels, begins the evening before and excludes some routes, with specific rules for travel to Eilat.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel offers free intercity travel on election day, October 27.
- The initiative covers most intercity buses and the national railway.
- Free travel starts the evening before election day and ends at midnight.
- A total of 3.5 million shekels will be allocated for the program.
- Travel to Eilat has specific registration requirements for free passage.
Israel's transportation authorities have announced that most intercity bus routes and the national railway will offer free travel on election day, October 27. The free service will begin at 8:00 PM on October 26 and continue until the end of service on election day.
The initiative covers 660 designated intercity bus routes, primarily those operating outside a single tariff metropolitan area for distances over 15 kilometers. Travel within cities, or within a single tariff zone on buses, trams, and the Haifa funicular, will still require payment. Passengers on the railway can obtain a special ticket from ticket machines or counters. On eligible bus routes, travel will be permitted without a ticket or registration check.
An exception applies to bus routes to Eilat. Passengers wishing to travel to Eilat for free must pre-confirm their voter registration in Eilat. The primary goal of this measure is to enable voters to reach their polling stations without incurring additional travel costs, especially for those temporarily residing, studying, or working in different localities.
The total cost of this transportation benefit to the state budget is estimated at approximately 3.5 million shekels. These funds will be transferred from the Central Elections Committee budget to the Ministry of Transport, which will then allocate them to the transport companies.
