Could Segregated buses make a return in Israel, Eldan to start leasing Better Place Electric Cars in Israel in 2012, Tel Aviv's Rental Bike Service is Succeeding

Could Segregated buses make a return in Israel?

Israel has this week seen a conflict re-emerge over the issue of female segregation on buses.  The sexist policy requiring women to sit at the back of buses on certain routes in Israel was banned earlier this year.

In order to ensure that this law was enforced, campaigns have been carried out to ensure that women can choose to sit where they like on the bus.  However, the Haredi Community have hit back demanding the right to operate private bus lines where segregation would be enforced.



Eldan to start leasing Better Place Electric Cars in Israel in 2012

Better Place have signed an agreement with Eldan, Israel's largest rental car company to provide hundreds of Renault Fluence electric cars for the car rental market in Israel.  Better Place will also install the car charging operators for Eldan to widen the electric car infrastructure across Israel.



Tel Aviv's Rental Bike Service is Succeeding


Seven months after the launch of the Tel Aviv Bike Rental Scheme, over 13000 people have purchased an annual subscription, with about 5500 bikes being rented every day from the 141 rental stations across Tel Aviv.

It was announced this week that daily and weekly subscriptions would now be offered for casual users of the service.

A daily rental of a bike would be 16 Shekels and a weekly rental would cost 60 Shekels.  It will be possible to pay at the rental station by credit card.

An annual subscription is 240 Shekels for residents of Tel Aviv and 280 Shekels for non-residents.  An annual subscription can only be purchased at the Tel Aviv Muncipality or on the Tel-O-Fun website.

It is also expected that 50 further rental stations will open in the Tel Aviv suburbs.

Bike Rental scheme in Tel Aviv to expand to Herzliya, Approval given to improve road access to Jerusalem

Bike Rental scheme in Tel Aviv to expand to Herzliya

Haaretz have reported that Tel Aviv's bike rental scheme is to be expanded to neighbouring city Herzliya.

Herzliya is currently negotiating with http://www.tel-o-fun.co.il/the operator of the bike rental scheme to set up bike rental stations and to construct a cycling path linking Tel Aviv and Herzliya.

Currently in Tel Aviv, there are 5000 subscribers to the bike rental scheme, 90% of whom are residents of Tel Aviv.  The scheme is also seeing more than 2000 bikes rented each day from its 80 stations, with 550 bikes positioned throughout Tel Aviv.

The scheme is at present only available to annual subscribers but daily and weekly subscriptions are expected to be permitted in the near future.  Also by September the number of stations should increase to 150 within Tel Aviv, with 1500 bikes available.



Approval given to improve road access to Jerusalem 


The Interior Ministry this week approved plans to construct a new road (Road 16) to connect Road 1 - the main road into Jerusalem - to the Menahem Begin Highway which will allow commuters to bypass northern and central Jerusalem on their way to southern Jerusalem.

However, as Road 16 will run through the Jerusalem Forest, the approval is being criticised by environmental groups.  The road according to the Jerusalem Post will also included tunnels under the Har Nof and Yefe Nof neighbourhoods of Jerusalem.