The Knesset Economics Committee gave final approval Tuesday to a law establishing metropolitan transport authorities for the Gush Dan, Jerusalem, and Haifa regions. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the move aligns Israel with developed nations after 30 years of debate; the aim is to transfer public transport management to regional bodies jointly with municipalities to ease congestion and improve service.
The Knesset Economics Committee on Tuesday gave final approval to legislation creating metropolitan transport authorities for the three largest Israeli urban regions — Gush Dan, Jerusalem, and Haifa. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the move as aligning Israel with developed-world practices after three decades of deliberations. The law transfers management of public transportation to regional bodies that will operate jointly with local municipalities, with the stated goals of reducing traffic congestion and improving service.
The approval follows earlier remarks by Transport Ministry Director-General Moshe Ben Zaken, as The Zioneer reported on Tuesday, that the ceding of central-government authority to local bodies was a rare act of administrative self-restraint aimed at bringing transport decisions closer to residents.
The legislation now moves forward to implementation; details on the timeline for establishing the new authorities and their exact operational scope have not yet been released.
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