Boycotts and price hikes: public transport crisis – report
The Central Bureau of Statistics published a report on the state of public transport in 2025. The annual number of bus trips grew by only 1.4%, to 780.9 million. The slowdown was attributed to the second wave of the "Transportation Justice" reform, which raised the cost of a trip from 6 to 8 shekels. After the fare hike in June, the number of trips plummeted by 33.5% compared to May. Passengers began to massively boycott ticket validation in protest.
Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics published a report on the state of the public transport market for 2025, painting a picture of significant slowdown. The annual volume of recorded bus trips increased by only 1.4%, reaching 780.9 million. Experts cite the second wave of the "Transportation Justice" reform, which raised the standard trip cost from 6 to 8 shekels, as the main reason for the slowdown. After the fare hike in mid-year, statistics recorded a deep decline: in June, the number of recorded trips plummeted by 33.5% compared to May, totaling 47.2 million. This sharp drop was influenced not only by the complex security context. Analysts note the emergence of a new trend: passengers began to massively boycott ticket validation in protest against rising prices and service quality. People only scan passes when inspectors appear. The CBS emphasizes that official data accounts exclusively for validated trips, meaning the actual number of passengers is significantly higher than official statistics. Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and Haifa remain leaders in total trip volume.