Israel limiting public transportation due to CoronaVirus

The Health Ministry in conjunction with the Transportation Ministry has announced new guidelines. I can't keep track of all the changes being announced with requirements for quarantines and people flying in from various countries, as every day things change in a matter of hours with new guidelines posted, but this one is significant and important and easy to follow.

They announced this morning that public transportation will start to be limited in service. For now they are going to prevent crowding on the bus lines.

Intercity buses will allow no standing at all by passengers. The bus will fill up its seats and allow nobody else on. As well, the row of seats behind the driver will have to remain empty.

Inner city buses will allow standing passengers, but only from the second row of seats and inward. The first row of seats will remain empty and nobody can stand in the are aof the driver or adjacent to the first row of seats.

Windows will be kept open as much as possible to allow ventilation. Bus drivers will be given hand sanitizer to keep his hands clean from the area and equipment by him. Any driver not feeling well will have to report it and will only be allowed back to work after medical testing. Bus schedules will continue as normal, for now.

I did not see anything about changes regarding the use of trains or the Light Rail in Jerusalem.

This is going to create chaos for a lot of people who rely on public transportation. With the same amount of buses but less passengers per bus, a lot of people will not be able to get to where they need to go. People already complain buses are too overcrowded at peak times, and now they will let fewer people on. We are going to have to change our lifestyles, hopefully only temporarily. Go less, travel less. Not just because of the inconvenience being created, but also to prevent spreading of the virus as much as possible.

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