If you are a regular visitor to the Kotel on Shabbos, you have ridden your last free ride on Egged...
The Ministry of Transportation has announced that as of this Motzei Shabbos there will no longer be free bus rides from the Kotel.
Until now, the first buses on Motzei Shabbos let passengers ride without paying, taking into consideration that people had walked to the Kotel on Shabbos and would not have money on them to pay for the ride. Passengers were expected to pay later.
According to the MoT, most passengers never returned to pay for the Motzei Shabbos rides.
Haredi MKs have asked Yisrael Katz, Minister of Transportation, to revoke the decision and to allow the previous arrangements to continue.
source: INN and Ladaat
did they really mostly not pay? maybe a lot of people have chofshi chodshi passes? maybe bus drivers would take the money and just mark it as a ride - how would the main office know what ride was paid for at a later time in the week and what ride was not paid for?
Perhaps, but with the current belief being that most people did not pay, I would like to see Gafni and company not just ask to allow the current situation to continue but to also offer to run a campaign to raise awareness of the need to pay later...
For now, at least, starting this Motzei Shabbos, plan to walk home from the Kotel, or make alternate arrangements...
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