Will transportation collapse on the way to the Lag BaOmer celebrations in Meron? Judging by the behavior of transportation companies today, transportation has already collapsed.
• For the special channel: Celebrating Lag BaOmer among the Haredim 10
The Haredim10 network received many inquiries today from drivers forced to stay outside the town of Meron, after the police blocked the entrance to the town in the afternoon, even though the police announcements about the expected schedule stated that the town would be closed on Friday morning.
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Additional complaints also came from public transportation passengers who had already made their way to Meron today, with unusual congestion at the bus stations and hundreds of people waiting at the stations. "I booked a B&B to stay in the settlement of Bar Yochai, near Meron," says one of the passengers. "We have a car, but because of the police recommendations, we decided to take public transportation on line 984 from Jerusalem to Safed. According to the schedule, at 1:00 p.m. We showed up at the station at the Egged terminal at the Har Hotzvim health resort in Jerusalem. We waited - two buses arrived that immediately filled up. The controller said to wait half an hour, but only at 3:00 p.m. did a bus arrive with us sitting crowded together, and the crowds remained at the station.".
In Bnei Brak, hundreds of people also found themselves stranded at stations, waiting in vain for Nativ Express buses. The company's VP, Zeev Sonenzon, told Kol Hai that "there was a malfunction. We are now sending dozens of buses to Bnei Brak.".
""Crazy traffic jams due to road works""
But the real problem, it seems, will not be in Meron or at the exit stations. According to testimonies from drivers who made their way north today, the trip from the central area to Safed takes between three and four hours. For example, someone who opened the Waze app at 7:00 PM and asked to get to Safed received a message that the time it would take to reach their destination was over three hours.
A driver who arrived in Safed this evening tells Haredim10: "It took me four hours to drive from Kfar Chabad to Safed. If you ask me, the big collapse won't be in Meron. The collapse will be in crazy traffic jams on the way to Meron. There are several roads on the way north that are under construction, and because of that, they cut off the shoulder, and there is only one or two lanes, and they are also very narrow.
""This is the second time in the last two weeks that I've been to the north, and the traffic jams in these places are crazy. So make a note of these places because even if you take an Egged bus, it will take you five hours to get to Meron: Highway 6, in the last section - Yokneam to the Alonim junction; Golani junction to the Kadrim junction; Kadrim junction to the junction connecting with Highway 90.".
""The entrance to Meron could be closed again intermittently""
Police spokesman for the Haredi press, Shabtai Grabarchik, tells Haredim10: "In certain parts of the day, there was a huge traffic jam in the settlement of Meron - and there are no parking spaces. That's why the police restricted the entry of vehicles. Now the entrance has been opened again, and could be closed again intermittently, if such a situation occurs again.".
The police also reported: In the Northern District and the Traffic Division, preparations for the festivities in Meron have been completed. Over a thousand police officers and volunteers from the Northern District and the Traffic Division will take part in the complex security and traffic operation. An information center has been established for the benefit of the celebrating public, with the number 1700-500-679. The center will begin operating tomorrow (Friday) in the morning.
Tomorrow, Friday morning, vehicle entry to the tomb complex and the moshav will be closed (except for moshav residents and vendors whose entry and exit will be approved by the police until the start of Shabbat).
With the end of Shabbat, hundreds of thousands of revelers from all over the country are expected to arrive, arriving by bus. The arrival of the revelers to the tomb complex will only be possible by bus and by shuttles from the parking lots that have been prepared in advance. For the benefit of the revelers arriving at Meron and at the initiative of the police officers of the Beit Shean station, in cooperation with a community police officer from the Jordan Valley, students of the 'Keshet Yehonatan' school and the National Road Safety Authority, a refreshment station for drivers and passengers was established at the "Bezeq" checkpoint.
""Sensitivity towards the celebrating public""
"The refreshment station will provide drinks, light refreshments, and a prayer for the road, among other things. We urge the public to obey the police instructions and drive with extra caution, make a refreshment stop, and avoid prolonged driving.".
Chief Zohar Dvir, commander of the Northern District, emphasized to the force commanders: "The Rashbi's celebration operation in Meron is a large, significant and important event from a religious point of view and accordingly constitutes a complex operational challenge. Due to the length of the operation, the police are required to be operationally alert, effective and sensitive towards the celebrating public. I am confident that the Northern District police and the Traffic Division will provide the best and most professional service to the thousands of celebrants and allow them to arrive safely to celebrate the celebration, with minimal disruption to the routine of the area's residents.".
