Public Transportation On Shabbos Proposed As New Law

The government's committee of ministers was set yesterday to discuss a proposed law, by MK Nitzan Horowitz of Meretz, that would allow, or require, Egged or other bus companies to operate bus lies on Shabbos.

Horowitz claims the proposed law is not anti-haredi, as the buses need not go through religious areas, but he claims there is a need of transportation among those who do not keep shabbos, and this is simply a law proposed to help them. Horowitz points to Haifa, where public bus lines have been operating on Shabbos for years, as an example of how it works without bothering anybody. (source: Kikar)

Obviously, Horowitz expected the proposed law to pass the ministerial committee, while the haredi MKs who oppose it expected it to get knocked down. I have not seen reports yet on what happened to this proposed law, but I would expect it would not have passed, considering it being a major breach in the all-holy status quo. Even if somehow Horowitz would have managed to muster up enough votes on the committee, I cannot imagine how a largely religious coalition would allow it's members to vote in favor of such a proposal, even if simply for the sake of the safety of the coalition, and definitely considering many would ideologically oppose it. Though I do sometimes wonder how society would change if such laws were passed...