Bnei Brak and Transport Ministry Clash Over Bus Routes and Central Station

Bnei Brak City Hall and the Transport Ministry have entered a public dispute over the city’s bus network, with municipal officials accusing the ministry of lying, delaying plans, and harming passengers. In a sharp statement obtained by Kikar HaShabbat, senior city officials called ministry figures “hypocrites,” accused them of spreading false claims, and said they were “abusing passengers.”

The city says the ministry is blocking a long-planned modern central bus station near Rabbi Kahaneman Street, by the city entrance close to the Coca-Cola plant, for about five years. It also rejects the ministry’s claim that the 260 million shekel Givat Harlanda bridge cost 1 billion shekels, calling that figure baseless. On bus lanes and road widening, the municipality says it repeatedly asked for professional meetings and funding, but was refused, leaving upgraded routes such as Hazon Ish Street empty while crowded internal streets absorb hundreds of buses each day.

The ministry gave a different version, saying the city itself asked not to restore all service to Hazon Ish Street after infrastructure work because of heavy congestion, and requested that some lines remain on alternative streets. According to the ministry, the city proposed splitting selected lines across different routes, which required a careful review to avoid harming passengers. Officials said the proposal was examined and the city received comments on problematic aspects and the professional criteria needed for a decision.

As a partial compromise, the ministry said six lines that already have agreement will return to Hazon Ish Street at the start of July, after the time needed to instruct operators, update licensing systems, install signage, and brief passengers. Ministry sources said a trip to Jerusalem should not include “another hour wasted inside Bnei Brak,” and insisted the city still needs a central station and internal transit infrastructure. Following the report, Transport Ministry Director General Moshe Ben Zaken ordered the head of the National Public Transport Authority, Idan Mualem, to urgently meet Bnei Brak’s city director to try to advance solutions.