From March 8 this year, bus drivers in Israel will no longer load Rav Kav travel cards. Passengers will have to ensure that their cards are loaded before they board a bus, in order to save the driver having to deal with cash while driving.
The Ministry of Transport's decision will first be implemented in Jerusalem. It applies to all forms of transport in the city. The policy will gradually be extended to all part of Israel.
The only means of payment on a bus will be a pre-loaded Rav Kav. In the future, single-journey tickets will also not be available from bus drivers, as is the case in many countries. The reasons given for the change are safety, since dealing with cash distracts the driver's attention while driving, and making journey times faster and improving punctuality.
Rav Kav cards will be loadable online, and via machines deployed around towns and cities and at heavily-used bus stops.
Card loading machines will also be installed on buses on main routes. Payment will be by credit card, or by cash, but change will not be given.
Rav Kav cards will also be loadable at the nine branches of café chain Cofix in Jerusalem.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 25, 2018
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2018