Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Yamina) reached an agreement with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Likud) according to which compartments will be installed for drivers in public transportation vehicles.
"These compartments will protect the drivers' health, the passengers' safety, and the peace of mind and concentration of the drivers while they are on their roads, as well as that of the civilians," Smotrich said.
"I thank the Finance Ministry for joining this effort, and I think Amir Asraf, the head of the Public Transportation Authority - for pushing for this.
"We will continue doing everything to improve service to citizens and to improve the drivers' status and welfare," he promised.
The Bus Drivers Organization responded: "Installing dividers is an important tool not only to protect from coronavirus, but also to protect from violence against drivers. We hope that this is an additional step on the path to defining a driver as a public worker. We will continue to spearhead the protection of bus drivers in normal times and during emergencies. This is a historic day for the drivers."