In first, free bus line will run between Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport on Shabbat
Existing 711 line, part of an initiative to provide weekend transportation in center of country, will now stop at Terminal 1
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Tel Aviv Municipality announced Thursday that a bus line will be set up to connect the city with Ben Gurion Airport on weekends, when regular bus and train services do not operate.
While most Israelis back limited public transportation on Shabbat, governments have refused to support buses on Friday night and Saturday, the Jewish day of rest, with ultra-Orthodox politicians demanding Israel hew closely to traditional arrangements on matters of religion and state.
The free service is part of the Na’im Besofash initiative, which already runs dozens of bus lines in the Gush Dan area.
The existing line 711 between Tel Aviv and the nearby town of Shoham will now go via the airport to the low-cost Terminal 1, the departure point for most flights on Saturdays. The airport has its own internal transport system for those who need to reach the main Terminal 3.
“Connecting the metropolis to the entryway of Israel is a welcome step and significant milestone for civilian freedom of movement,” said Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Meital Lehavi, who holds the transportation portfolio, in a post to Facebook.
She noted that it was “a solution for a basic, social and egalitarian need, and we will continue to expand the freedom of movement on the country’s roads for the benefit of all citizens.
Na’im Besofash, a punny Hebrew portmanteau that roughly translates to “weekend travel,” is a network that has been operating since late 2019, when it introduced lines in Tel Aviv, Givatayim, and Ramat Hasharon.
The Times of Israel Community.