“It may have been after the Intercity Volvo (model B12B) bus (in service since 2002!) that was transporting us from Airport City to Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station broke down smack dab in the center of Highway 1 – at the peak of rush hour, mind you- that I began to ruminate on why this is so and why it should continue to be.

Egged was and remains today a state supported company and monopoly. Moreover, a strong case can be made that Egged would not be able to exist for a single day without the largesse of Israeli tax payers. The Trajtenberg Commission confirmed what most Israelis have sensed for a long time, noting that subsidies given to Egged and Dan (25% more than the subsidies given to smaller companies) just keep going up, while their services continue going down…”

Read the complete essay as it appears in the Times of Israel:

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/egged-on-the-face-the-case-for-towing-israels-bus-monopoly-away/