Ministers propose NIS 650m. electric mass transit plan

‘Transportation industry is biggest polluting factor in the country’

A new electric public transportation system should be introduced in Israel, Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli (Labor), Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) and Energy Minister Karin Elharrar (Yesh Atid) recommended Sunday.

The joint venture will cost an estimated NIS 650 million. It includes NIS 360m. for municipal and intercity electric buses and the infrastructure they require, NIS 100m. to reduce pollution in cities, NIS 90m. to establish an environmentally friendly commuting program for workers and NIS 100m. for electric charging stations and research and development in the field of clean transportation.

In addition to the requested budget, the joint venture calls for exempting lithium batteries used in electric vehicles from taxation, establishing a plan to reduce carbon emissions from all methods of transportation and enabling all government workers to use electronic and environmentally friendly methods of transportation by 2025.

More than NIS 30 billion is spent on carbon-emissions costs each year, and public transportation is the main factor, the Environmental Protection Ministry reported in June. The ministry has begun working to switch the production of 40% of Israel’s electricity to renewable-energy sources by 2030.

“The climate crisis is already hitting the world hard, and Israel must act immediately to reduce its consequences,” the ministers said in a joint statement. “The best way to do this is through cooperation between government ministries. The transportation industry is the biggest polluting factor in the country, and therefore the decision to promote electric transportation is extremely important.”

“The goal is both to promote electric public transportation and to encourage Israeli consumers to choose an electric vehicle,” the statement said. “We will work to make the transition easy, fast and cost-effective.”