It seems that buses have been here forever, especially in Israel, where public transit is based mainly on city and intercity buses.
The public transit sector is continuously changing on all fronts: from the passenger's experience, through the driver's environment to the buses themselves and of course, their energy sources, to the integration of public ride-on-demand systems.
Here is what happened in the industry in recent years and what is expected tooccur in the very near future:
Mobile travelers
Until a decade ago, a bus ride was fraught with uncertainty. We didn't know when the bus would arrive, what would be the duration of the trip and sometimes we had no idea what the trip would cost.
These have changed dramatically in recent years through the Internet and location services, which later became applications like Moovit and Google Maps. At Egged, we let our passengers have all the information they will need through the app and our website before they leave home: preferred route, rates, and real-time schedule.
The coins no longer clink
Remember we used to collect coins for the bus and the anxiety we felt about the driver not having change? The Rav-Kav, which was recently extended for use by all public transit methods in Israel, has made that real history.
Furthermore, since it is now possible to recharge the card via the Internet, on your mobile phone, in the Rav-Kav app, through private ATMs, and in hundreds of other points across the country, using the Rav-Kav card is more comfortable and more convenient.
But ... The changes don't stop here. In many western countries, wallets and the cards inside them have given way to payment by mobile phone. The Ministry of Transport is preparing to integrate additional digital means of payment such as credit cards and mobile wallets, and it is safe to assume that in the near future we will be able to use these for traveling on public transit.
Public transit is more accessible than ever before
Many population groups rely on public transport to travel between places, especially people with disabilities. To enable them to enjoy reliable public transit services, the Ministry of Transport requires the operators to integrate accessibility systems for everyone – from mothers with baby strollers, to the blind, deaf and the disabled in wheelchairs.
Smart stations
In recent years, the bus stations were also upgraded. If bus stations in the past consisted of a bench and some signage, of late, electronic boards were added to the stations, providing real-time information. How does the data get to the station? The bus companies, Egged, for example, transfers the information to the command and control center of the Ministry of Transport, which relays the information to the station, thereby to you.
Tevel Metro, which will operate the Red Line in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area, will introduce brand innovations in light rail stations. The stations will include scheduling systems as well as payment and validation systems where payment will be made before boarding the railcar.
Saving on gas and benefiting from a peaceful and pleasant journey
The Egged Group strives to reduce air pollution and optimize energy use. This is not only an environmental consideration but also a primary economic goal – saving a small percentage of gas consumption means saving tens of millions of dollars a year. Therefore, we launched a joint pilot with Israeli TRAFFILOG, the company responsible for the development of a "black box" which is designed for monitoring all driving features, including energy consumption, and vehicle wear and tear.
The pilot was launched two years ago, and it concluded in successfully proving that it is possible to save up to 2.5% on gas consumption and minimize the wear and tear of the buses. But the advantages don't stop there – the passengers on the buses where the systems were installed indicated that the bus ride has become more pleasant and safe.
We intend to expand the use of these and similar systems that protect the drivers, the passengers, the bus, and the environment!
Electric buses are already parked at the station
The European Union has set a ,precise target date for clearing all roads from coaches, whether powered by gas or diesel. Until 2025, only electric buses will travel throughout the Union, thereby dramatically reducing the carbon footprint of public transport.
Egged Europe – is a subsidiary of the Egged Group, which is operating public transit services in The Netherlands and Poland. It has already accumulated many miles on electric buses in The Netherlands, and this experience is reflected in Egged's plans in this field.
Egged has also begun the process of assimilating electric buses into its fleet, with intent to integrated about 60 e-buses. The drivers and passengers who have already enjoyed traveling on the electric buses report that the ride on them is fast, comfortable, quiet, and more pleasant.
Currently, electric buses are capable of traveling about 125 miles between charges and are therefore only integrated into city bus routes. In the future, once they have a more extended range, these buses will also be integrated into intercity routes.
Alongside all of this, the Group is also reviewing the option to integrate hybrid buses into Egged's fleet.
A bus with no driver
The viability of traveling in an autonomous vehicle has been exciting the world in recent years, and the State of Israel is establishing itself as a global pioneer in the field. In the bus transit sector, autonomous driving is even more critical. Autonomous buses are also likely to have professional drivers on board, whose job will be to focus on supervising the systems and providing services to passengers.
At present, autonomous buses are already traveling in countries in the Far East where minibusses travel a particularly short route, which serves primarily as a "laboratory" for examining the issue.
Egged Group is also reviewing the topic and will soon receive autonomous buses for a pilot that will be conducted in 2020, which will integrate autonomous buses into Egged's bus service plan.
Order your ride on the phone
Transportation on demand became one of the popular means of public transportation around the world in recent years, thanks to its availability and comfort.
Egged operates public transportation on-demand services in Haifa and Jerusalem, as a part of a national pilot led by the ministry of transportation.The Egged application was upgraded specially for the pilot and includes now a rideshare option, called TikTak.
TikTak provides a reliable, user-friendly, and comfortable alternative to public transportation users in Haifa and Jerusalem, after registering on Egged's application.
TikTak service provides its users with outstanding advantages such as short and rapid rides, long operation hours: 06:00-21:00 on weekdays, extensive coverage that includeד universities, business centers, and culture and leisure attractions, luxury vehicles, and attractive ride fairs,
The service is now available in Haifa and will be available in Jerusalem in the coming months.
For further information and registration,
click here.