Miri Regev’s Tenure as Israel’s Transport Minister Shows Mixed Results on Road Safety and Public Transit
An independent data analysis evaluates the performance of Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev since her appointment in December 2022, focusing on road safety, budget execution, and public transportation usage. The report finds a 15% increase in road fatalities per million residents from 164 in early 2022 to 189 in 2024-2025, with a slight improvement in 2026. This rise is attributed to factors such as insufficient enforcement and outdated traffic cameras. Notably, senior officials at the National Road Safety Authority resigned in protest over the ministry’s inaction, and Israel was suspended from the European Road Safety Council. In response, Regev secured government approval in November 2025 for a 350 million shekel annual road safety plan for 2026-2030, alongside additional infrastructure investments.
Regarding budget execution, the ministry’s spending rate dropped from 96% before Regev to 79% in 2025, though this aligns with prior years when excluding an outlier in 2022. The ministry explains the decline relates to timing and multi-year project commitments. Regev announced a 50 billion shekel investment plan for 2023-2027, including a 150% increase in a five-year plan and projects like the Eastern Railway and enhanced public transit, though some infrastructure projects were delayed due to war-related budget cuts.
Public transportation ridership has gradually recovered from pandemic lows, with increases of 6-7% in 2023-2024 and a slight rise in 2025, reaching a record one billion trips. Experts note this reflects a return to pre-COVID levels rather than growth, influenced by factors such as remote work and the opening of the Tel Aviv light rail Red Line in August 2023. Regev advanced the "Transport Justice" reform, granting free or discounted fares to seniors, youth, and peripheral residents, alongside the largest-ever investment in public transit infrastructure.
The Transport Ministry criticized the analysis as selective and partial, disputing the road safety data and budget execution interpretation, and highlighting official statistics showing a 9% decrease in fatalities by July 2026 compared to the previous year. The ministry emphasized ongoing large-scale investments and reforms. The independent data team clarified their findings rely on official government sources and rejected claims of bias or predetermined conclusions.
This comprehensive review highlights the complexities and challenges in Israel’s transport sector under Minister Regev, with ongoing efforts to improve safety and expand public transit amid fiscal and external pressures.
