Egged bus
Egged busPhoto: Meir Salah

As of Monday the price of public transportation will be reduced by 14 percent across the country. The reduction is a result of the passing of a law proposed by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who spearheaded the effort to lower the cost of public transportation. 

The Metrodan corporation announced that as of Monday morning the cost of a single ride ticket will be 3.80 shekel whereas a senior ticket will cost 1.90 shekel and a monthly pass will cost 149 shekel. Senior monthly passes will cost only 74.50 shekel. 

The reduction in price is supposed to equal the Value Added Tax (VAT) for the services and the country has earmarked 650 million shekel to subsidize the cost of the VAT, and will issue reimbursement to the transportation companies. Under the auspices of the new law no change in price to public transportation will be allowed as a result of any future change to the VAT rate.

Additionally, gas prices are also expected to fall by 5 agurot per liter for benzine gasoline across the country.