I don't quite understand how this works, but News1 is reporting that the Ministry of Transportation has approved Superbus to operate some bus lines on Shabbos.

This Shabbos will be the first time since Superbus began operating bus lines in 2002 that it will be operating lines on Shabbos.

Especially unusual about this is that much of Superbus's existing operations are in areas with Haredi populations.

This is unusual because we all know how the Haredi community takes to chilul shabbos, and breaking of the status quo, and reacts by boycotting even the non-chillul shabbos parts of such companies (like AM:PM and Shefa Shuk).

The affected lines are in the cities of Afula, Kiryat Tivon, Yokneam and Haifa. The lines operating on Shabbos will be in areas that did not previously have public transportation on Shabbos, and even going into areas with religious populations, so this is a big change in policy. Personally it makes me wonder why they approve these new lines but have refused to approve such lines on Shabbos in very secular areas like parts of Tel Aviv that have been working for years to get public transportation on Shabbos.

I wait to see how the Haredi community will react, and if they will boycott Superbus in other areas, such as Bet Shemesh, as a result. It is a tough boycott to create, considering how reliant the community is on public transportation, but I cannot see this passing quietly.