Former Deputy Transportation Minister Uri Maklev (United Torah Judaism) has warned of repercussions if the prices for Israel's public transportation rise.
"There is a legal option to operate private public transportation in haredi cities," he told Kol Hai Radio. "If prices for passengers rise - we will support and back this."
Regarding the cost of living, Maklev said: "The public has said its piece, and we cannot ignore the cost of living. The Transportation Ministry is trying to convince people to use public transportation, and is raising the cost of using it. There is no real grasp of economics here. We will seriously consider moving to private transportation. It's unthinkable that we will be the sector that uses the most public transportation, and that we will also get decrees on our heads."
Shlomo Filber, who is a partner in the Direct Polls research company and who formerly served as Communications Ministry Director General, on Thursday morning called on the haredi community to create its own bus system.
"If tomorrow the price of public transportation from haredi cities rises, in accordance with an instruction from the Finance Ministry, which is canceling the subsidies, then I suggest the haredi public operate a private system of buses, at the current prices," Filber tweeted.
According to him, "There are hundreds of buses and dozens of companies who will be happy to have set work that is in high demand and stable. Egged's buses will travel empty for a few weeks, and everything will work out."