Data Shows Miri Regev’s Public Transport Reform Fails to Boost Ridership in 2025

New figures from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics raise doubts about the effectiveness of the "Transportation Justice" reform led by Transportation Minister Miri Regev. In 2025, the number of public transport validations increased by only 1.4%, a sharp slowdown compared to approximately 7% growth the previous year. This comes despite the reform's expansion in April 2025, which lowered the free ride eligibility age from 75 to 67 and introduced a 50% discount for residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.

However, the reform's funding came at a cost: 500 million shekels were diverted annually from budgets originally intended for adding routes and trips. Additionally, the general fare rose significantly, with a single urban ride increasing from 5.50 shekels before the current government to 8 shekels in 2025, a roughly 45% hike. This fare increase sparked what has been called a "validation rebellion," with the proportion of passengers not paying or validating their rides rising from 20% to 30% within a year, according to the public transport advocacy group "15 Minutes."

Data on senior citizens also reveals notable trends. The number of seniors holding a 50% discount profile nearly halved during the year, while those with a "Gold Rav-Kav" profile, allowing free rides, almost doubled. Yet, combined figures show only a slight increase in seniors using public transport, from 13.7% in 2021 to 14.1% in 2025. This suggests the main change was in the cost seniors pay, following the reduction of the free ride age threshold.

These findings align with earlier assessments from the Knesset Research and Information Center, which predicted the reform would not significantly increase public transport ridership. Overall, the data indicates that despite expanded discounts and fare adjustments, the reform has not achieved its goal of substantially boosting public transport use in Israel.