Free Public Transport in Israel for Election Day
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Israel is providing free public transportation on intercity buses and trains for Election Day, starting Monday evening and running through Tuesday night. The initiative aims to help voters reach the polls but is open to everyone. Urban transport, including city buses and light rail, is not included. Special procedures are in place for Israel Railways, requiring free paper tickets or seat reservations for certain routes, and travel to Eilat requires advance booking.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Free intercity bus and Israel Railways travel is available on Election Day in Israel.
- The free transport initiative began Monday evening and ends Tuesday night.
- Urban public transport, including city buses and light rail, is not part of the free travel offer.
- Passengers on Israel Railways must obtain free paper tickets or seat reservations, not use payment apps.
- Travel to Eilat requires advance booking and eligibility checks with the Egged company.
- Train ridership is expected to exceed the 33% increase seen in the 2022 elections.
Israel is offering free public transportation on Election Day for the 26th Knesset, with the initiative beginning Monday evening at 8:00 PM and continuing until the end of service on Tuesday night. While initially intended to facilitate voter access, the benefit is available to all Israeli residents, regardless of their eligibility to vote. This year's program is more extensive than previous elections, covering approximately 660 intercity bus routes longer than 15 kilometers, an increase from the 2022 elections. Israel Railways is also included in the free travel scheme.
However, the free travel does not extend to urban public transport. Passengers using city buses, light rail in Jerusalem and Gush Dan, the Metronit in Haifa, or the Carmelit subway will be charged regular fares. For inquiries about specific routes, the Ministry of Transportation can be reached at 8787*.
Travel procedures vary by transport mode. On intercity buses, passengers can board freely through any door without needing to present identification, validate a Rav-Kav card, or scan payment apps. For Israel Railways, passengers must not validate their Rav-Kav card or use payment apps, as this will result in a standard charge. Instead, they should obtain a free, special paper ticket from ticket machines or ticket offices to pass through the gates.
Due to expected high passenger numbers on the fast train line between Jerusalem (Yitzhak Navon) and Tel Aviv, train frequency has been increased to three trains per hour in each direction between 12:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Due to police and safety regulations limiting passenger capacity, passengers must obtain a free personal seat reservation voucher online from the Israel Railways website. Ushers will be stationed at stations to enforce entry for voucher holders only on these specific trains.
Travel to Eilat is not automatically free. Bus travel to and from Eilat requires pre-qualification based on registered residency and advance coordination with the "Egged" company's hotline at 2800*. In the 2022 elections, train ridership surged by approximately 33%, with over 331,000 passengers compared to about 249,000 on a regular day. Transportation officials anticipate this record will be broken again this year and advise passengers to check for real-time updates via the Israel Railways app, the 5770* hotline, or official WhatsApp channels.
