Tel Aviv Municipal Council members Reuven Ladyansky and Avraham Poraz, on the court’s recommendation, withdrew their lawsuit in the High Court against the Ministry of Transportation and the Public Transportation Authority, demanding that trams operate on Saturdays.
The lawsuit was withdrawn after the defendants, at the court’s request, presented reasons for the decision not to operate the red line of the Gush Dan light rail system on Saturdays.
According to the Public Transport Authority, operating the tram line six days a week costs NIS 21.3 million per week (or NIS 3.55 million per day). The cost of operating on Saturdays will be significantly higher – NIS 5.8 million. In addition, switching to seven days a week will require purchasing additional trains, changing the maintenance schedule and other additional costs. At the same time, the Authority notes that the number of passengers on Friday mornings and after Saturday is significantly lower than on regular days.
The Ministry of Transport responded to the lawsuit by saying that the lack of public transport on Saturdays is part of the status quo policy on matters of religion and state.