Stations overcrowd as soldiers return to base on limited transportation system
Transportation Ministry blamed for congestion after IDF cancels internal shuttle system; military says move was coordinated with Defense Ministry
There were long lines and crowded conditions at bus stations across the country Sunday morning as soldiers returned to their bases after the weekend, using public transportation routes still running at a limited capacity due to the pandemic.
The IDF announced Thursday that troops would again be allowed to use public transportation fully and that as a result, the military would stop running its internal transport service as the COVID-19 crisis appeared to be coming under control.
Under Health Ministry guidelines, only 20 people are allowed on each bus to enable social distancing, leading to long lines at transportation hubs and overcrowded conditions with passengers sometimes unable to maintain social distancing.
Adding to the congestion, there are still no trains running at all and no buses on Saturday evenings, causing more congestion on Sunday mornings.
Footage of the crowds at stations and bus stops led to criticism of the Transportation Ministry for not properly preparing for such a scenario.
An official from the ministry told Channel 12 news that the military’s decision to allow soldiers back on buses had not been made in coordination with the Transportation Ministry.
“Public transportation has not yet returned to full routine and is very busy early in the morning — the bus stations have become a real incubator for the coronavirus, and it is clear who is responsible for it,” the unnamed source said.
But a second unnamed source told the outlet that there were talks with the Defense Ministry after the decision was made to cancel the shuttle service, but that the IDF was supposed to stagger the soldiers’ arrival times on bases, though that would not totally prevent congestion.
A spokesperson for the IDF told Channel 12 that “the return to public transportation was coordinated with the Defense Ministry and is in line with the regulations for the national economy and Health Ministry guidelines.”
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One passenger named Tamir told the Ynet news site that he had to travel from Jerusalem to Beersheba, but at the central bus station in the capital he was faced with a long wait in crowded conditions.
“There were young people and soldiers there, and anyone in a group deemed at risk [from the virus] would have been insane to wait there,” he said.
Israel has been reopening services and allowing greater freedom of movement as the number of active COVID-19 cases dwindle, though officials have warned of a likely second wave of infections.
On Sunday morning, the Health Ministry said the number of cases was up to 16,558, adding another 14 cases to the tally since the morning before.
A total of 248 people have died from the virus since the start of the outbreak.
Health Ministry deputy director Itamar Grotto said Sunday the coming week will prove “decisive” as to whether the government will be able to continue rolling back restrictions or will be forced to order their return if COVID-19 spike again.
He told Army Radio that a return of cases in the summer is a real possibility.
“We are preparing for a number of scenarios in which we remain in the same situation [of some degree of restrictions] until winter and also consider the possibility of another wave in the summer,” Grotto said.
The Times of Israel Community.