Representatives of the Ministry of Transportation appeared today (Tuesday) for another discussion in the Public Inquiries Committee - during which they focused on the authority to issue fines for failure to validate public transportation.
In the previous discussion on the subject held in the Public Inquiries Committee, a document from the Ministry of Transportation from 2018 was revealed instructing public transportation companies not to fine passengers who paid for the trip, but did not use it - those with a daily free contract, monthly free contract, etc.
During today's discussion, representatives of the Ministry of Transportation had difficulty explaining where in the existing law public transportation companies have the authority to impose fines for failure to validate.
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MK Yitzhak Pindros, chairman of the committee, said: "When a person has a monthly pass, he has proof of payment that allows him to avoid a fine in the event of non-validation. We see here a complete disregard by public transportation companies regarding the instructions not to issue fines to anyone who has a seasonal bus ticket.".
""Regarding the railway - fines for non-validation have been explicitly regulated in legislation. The Ministry of Transportation also brought a proposal to the Knesset table in 2018 that authorizes the imposition of fines for non-validation, but the proposal was not approved.
""I recommend that transportation companies be careful about issuing fines for non-validation and remind them that they are under a class action lawsuit regarding the unlawful issuance of fines.".
Pindrus added: "Of course, it is mandatory to validate the card on every trip, but on the face of it, there is no authority in the existing law to issue fines in the event of non-validation of a periodic subscription.".
""The State of Israel is losing hundreds of millions of shekels due to non-payment of public transportation thieves, and at the same time, the inspectors are checking audiences that are convenient for them to check, and not necessarily those who intentionally steal rides. We need to protect the citizens who travel on public transportation, that is my job as an elected official.".
Attorney Ofer Levy from the Ministry of Transportation: "The law refers to the obligation to validate passengers on public transportation even when they hold a periodic subscription or when they are making a transit trip. In order for an inspector to be able to perform his job, he must be given the appropriate authorities for this.".
Shahar Bar, Budget Division at the Ministry of Finance: "The Ministry of Transportation has no advantage in operating controllers. The transportation company knows better where supervision should be placed and where not. We can examine the possibility of transferring supervision to the Ministry of Transportation, but we have not yet received a request for this.".
Amichai Levy, Ministry of Transportation: "We will discuss the request to remove the inspection system and transfer it to the Ministry of Transportation. This is a complex issue, we do not have an operational proposal. We will contact the Ministry of Finance and answer all the questions on the agenda and examine the possibility of removing the inspection to the Ministry of Transportation. As part of the understandings with the transportation companies, the inspectors' salaries will be disconnected from the number of reports that are distributed. The relationship between the transportation company and the inspectors is under the employee-employer relationship and the Ministry of Transportation has no control over this.".
MK Moshe Roth: "Thousands of citizens are harmed as a result of inappropriate treatment by inspectors on public transportation. The procedures for inspectors should be clear and transparent.".
Committee Chairman MK Pindaros summed up the discussion: "The Public Inquiries Committee will contact the State Audit Committee so that it can also discuss the issue of inspectors in public transportation. I do not intend to let go of the issue of inspectors. I ask the Ministry of Transportation to prepare a serious proposal to be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance regarding the transfer of inspectors to be employees under the Ministry of Transportation in direct employment. Currently, the inspectors in public transportation are working without supervision, and this situation is not normal.".
