Minister of Transport and Road Safety and Intelligence Yisrael Katz today signed a new regulation permitting for the first time vehicle owners meeting conditions set by the Ministry of Transport to make non-profit ridesharing trips in their vehicles.
Under the new regulation, private car owners can make two ridesharing trips a day in their cars. The number of passengers on the ride cannot exceed four in addition to the driver. The car owner can carry only prearranged passengers, and cannot pick up unplanned passengers.
Under the new regulation, the maximum amount per kilometer in a journey is NIS 2, and the direct expenses will be shared equally among all the passengers in the ride, including the driver. The regulations will take effect with 30 days of their publication in the official gazettes.
Katz said that the new regulation was likely to increase the number of passengers in each vehicle and reduce the number of vehicles on the roads in the framework of measures being taken by the Ministry of Transport to lessen road congestion.
However, sources in the transport sector said that drivers had been taking passengers for some time through such ridesharing apps as Moovit and Waze without any limitations, so that the new restrictions will only increase congestion on the roads.
Several months ago, Katz signed a regulation allowing taxicabs to conduct shared rides, so that the passengers in the taxi would be able to share the ride with other people traveling on the same route.
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on December 4, 2017
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2017