The study also shows that roads in Israel are far more congested than most cointries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and development
A new study, carried out by Shaldor strategic consulting, a world-class strategic management consulting firm based in Israel, and commissioned by the Ministry of Transportation (MOT) shows that only 30% of Israelis use public transit – one of the lowest rates in the world.
The study shows that Israel's roads are far more congested than most countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Researchers claim that if more residents choose to use the country's buses and trains, Israel could save up to US$100 million a year. The consulting firm, which conducted the study, noted that while a car ride costs NIS 38 (US$9.5), a public transit ride costs only NIS 14 (US$3.5) on average.
Yet, Israelis largely choose to use cars. He noted that people tend to become more dependent on cars once they move to the suburbs, but stressed that this trend increases road congestion and widens social class gaps. They said getting only 1% of private car users in the Tel Aviv metro area to use public transportation would contribute about NIS 270 million (US$ 67.5 million) to the economy each year.
Among 29 cities whose populations are larger than 3 million – similarly to the Tel Aviv metropolitan area – 28 have their own transportation authorities. Residents of large European cities are much more inclined towards using means of public transportation than those in Tel Aviv, where only 30% of the population use buses and trains. In Warsaw, 70% use public transport, while in Barcelona and Zurich 65% and 63% do the same, respectively.
