MK Yaakov Asher Urges Transport Minister to Exempt Disability Escorts from Public Transit Fees

MK Yaakov Asher has formally requested Transport Minister Miri Regev to immediately implement a policy exempting escorts of people with disabilities from paying public transportation fares. In his letter sent on Wednesday, Asher highlighted that the current situation forces individuals with disabilities to pay for their own travel and also cover the cost of their escorts, effectively constituting "double payment for a single service." He emphasized that this financial burden adversely affects thousands of disabled individuals and their families.

Asher explained that escorts often act as the "eyes" or provide essential physical and emotional support to people with disabilities, making travel without them impossible. He argued that no legislative changes are necessary to resolve this issue and that the Ministry of Transport can address it through administrative directives. To facilitate this, Asher proposed updating validation systems and mobile applications to allow the escort's fare exemption to be linked directly to the disabled person's ticket, thereby reducing bureaucratic obstacles.

"For a person with a disability, the escort is not a luxury or privilege but often the enabler for using public transportation," Asher wrote. He insisted that it is unacceptable for disabled individuals to pay extra simply because they require accessibility accommodations for basic services. Asher called on the Ministry of Transport to resolve the matter promptly, underscoring that accessibility is a right, not a privilege.