New Reliability Index Reveals Wide Gaps in Israel’s Public Bus Service Quality
A new public transportation reliability index in Israel reveals significant disparities in service quality across different regions. Developed by the organization "15 Minutes" in collaboration with HopOn and supported by the Ministry of Justice, the index combines official Ministry of Transportation data with real-time passenger feedback to provide a comprehensive assessment of bus service reliability. The overall score, ranging from 1 to 5, weighs 70% on official operational data and 30% on passenger reports, including satisfaction, missed stops, and crowding.
The index shows that central Israel, particularly the Tel Aviv cluster operated by Dan, leads with the highest reliability score of 3.82. Other top-performing areas include the Sharon cluster, Holon, Jerusalem city operated by Egged, and Ashdod. In contrast, regions with operational challenges and heavy traffic, such as northern Jerusalem and the Jerusalem envelope area, scored the lowest, with ratings below 2.0.
Among transportation companies, Dan ranks first nationally with a 3.82 score, followed by Metropoline and Dan South. At the bottom are Extra Jerusalem and Electra Afikim. Individual bus lines with dedicated lanes, such as Haifa’s Metronit lines operated by Superbus, scored highest, with some lines above 4.6. Conversely, long intercity routes and lines running through congested corridors without dedicated lanes scored poorly, with Egged’s line 910 from Haifa to Tel Aviv receiving the lowest score of 1.45 due to frequent delays and cancellations.
The index also highlights the success of rail-based transit modes, with Haifa’s Carmelit cable car scoring a perfect 5.0 and Jerusalem’s light rail scoring 4.8. "The success of reliable transit like the Metronit and light rail proves that investing in dedicated infrastructure is critical," said Sivan Shmuelovitch, CEO of "15 Minutes." She urged the Ministry of Transportation to expand dedicated bus lanes and prioritize service quality and passenger satisfaction in contracts.
Responses from operators varied: Egged denied issues on line 910 and promised to investigate, while Extra Transportation criticized the index for bias and ignoring official data, attributing service problems mainly to a severe bus driver shortage. The report underscores ongoing challenges in Israel’s public transport system despite government efforts to reduce regional disparities and improve service quality.
