Tel Aviv has launched six free bus routes operating on Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, when regular public transportation is closed. Demand during the first few weeks was so high that service frequency was immediately increased, reports Travel.ru.
The project is funded by the municipalities of Tel Aviv, Givatayim, Kiryat Ono, and Ramat Hasharon. Six routes are looped through these neighborhoods, each passing through central Tel Aviv. In total, 526 stops are served. The scheme's organizers stated that they aimed to include routes to beaches and entertainment venues, which are in high demand on Shabbat. Furthermore, the routes avoid areas with a significant religious population, which disapprove of Shabbat transportation.
Routes operate on Fridays from 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM (the last regular routes depart around 3:00 PM in winter to ensure service is completed before sunset), and on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (regular service resumes after 6:00 PM, i.e., after sunset). The schedule will likely be adjusted closer to summer to accommodate later sunsets.
Nineteen-seat minibuses operate on these routes. They are recruited from various locations and are painted differently to reflect their regular locations. They can be identified by Saturday transit system stickers and route numbers 705 to 710. Routes can be viewed on the project's website, and expected arrival times can be found in the Moovit or "Bus Nearby" mobile apps.
Previously, only half a dozen rather expensive private minibuses operated in Tel Aviv on Shabbat (a number of similar lines connect Tel Aviv and its airport with several other cities in the country, but many areas still remain without any transportation at all). Regular public transportation on Shabbat in Israel previously operated only in Haifa, Eilat, and Nazareth. In recent years, residents have increasingly demanded transportation on Shabbat in secular areas, but progress has been slow.
However, overall, traveling within Israel for independent tourists has become dramatically easier and much cheaper over the past two years, following the introduction and improvement of the travel card system. To take advantage of these price improvements, tourists are required to obtain a permanent local Rav Kav card. Available at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, it costs 5 shekels (1.3 euros) or is free (if the passenger chooses to personalize it with a photo). The Rav Kav can be used as an e-wallet (for single trips) or as a travel card.
For example, a day pass for buses and trains in central Tel Aviv, central Jerusalem, or Haifa currently costs 13.5 shekels (3.5 euros)—the price of just two single tickets; a weekly pass costs 64 shekels (16.5 euros). A day pass covering the main suburbs in each of these cities costs 21.5 shekels (5.5 euros), and a weekly pass costs 94 shekels (24 euros). These Tel Aviv passes also include the airport. A day pass for all of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, including trains and buses between these cities and to the airport, plus public transportation, costs 32.5 shekels (8.4 euros). The same day pass between Tel Aviv and Haifa (also includes Akko, Nazareth, Netanya, Hadera, Caesarea, Ashdod, the airport and any cities in between) costs 40 shekels (10.3 euros).
A day pass for all of Israel costs 60 shekels (15.4 euros), and a monthly pass for the entire country costs 900 shekels (232 euros). This does not include Palestinian Authority transport or travel to Eilat.
It's worth keeping in mind that tickets may not be sold on intracity buses at all (passengers must have a Rav Kav with their travel card or cash). The most convenient way to apply travel cards is at ticket machines at train stations and some bus terminals. This can also be done on commuter and intercity buses, but in these cases, you'll need to be able to explain to the driver exactly which travel card is required—many drivers aren't familiar with the details of the travel card system and all the different types.
Source: travel.ru