The Knesset Economic Affairs Committee approved the law creating metropolitan transport authorities, sending it to its second and third readings. The reform is meant to shift decisions on bus lines, routes, fares and enforcement away from the Transportation Ministry and to local bodies that know the area and stay in regular contact with residents.
The main fight in committee was over who would lead the new authorities. The ministry wanted Idan Moalem, head of the Public Transport Authority, to chair a special body, the metropolitan authorities, for the first three years. Committee chair David Bitan strongly opposed that, saying the period could be cut to 18 months without undermining the goal of transferring power to local government rather than leaving it with the ministry.
At stake are billions of shekels, since public transport authority includes transferring large budgets to operators. So far, those funds were handled by the Public Transport Authority, which will now become mainly a supervisory body while budget decisions move to the local authorities. The ministry had delayed the law for years over fears of losing authority, but eventually accepted the compromise after Bitan signaled the issue could stall approval. Under the revised version presented by budget division transport coordinator Rotem Barmali, the minister may appoint a council chair for the first 18 months, afterward local authority elections choose a chair for five years, and if no agreement is reached on the first five years’ agenda, 40% of voting power can demand a special session.
Yesh Atid, which backed the bill, objected that it still would not let metropolitan authorities approve public transport on Shabbat in cities that want it. That objection was rejected, and the committee unanimously approved the text. Transportation Ministry director general Moshe Ben Zaken said the ministry had decided to support the bill because decentralizing powers, budgets and staff would ultimately give the public better transport, even if the ministry loses influence. The reform is largely organizational and is expected to affect the system over the long term, but it is one of the few transport reforms approved recently, after others including the life-saving cameras law, congestion tax and railway reform were frozen.
