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| Jerusalem
Getting Around |
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Public
Transport
The
Egged National Bus Co-operative (telephone: (03) 694 8888),
provides an inexpensive, comfortable, efficient urban bus system
within west Jerusalem, as well as elsewhere. All routes are based
out of the Central Bus Station (telephone: (02) 530 4704) on Jaffa
Road. Bus services run each day, except on the Sabbath (Friday afternoon
to Saturday evening) or on Jewish religious holidays. Ordinary 1
way tickets are general enquiries.
Visitors planning to spend more than a few days in Jerusalem are
advised to consider buying a kartissiyah, a multi
fare punch card that offers 11 journeys for the price of 10. There
is also a special card called hofshi-hodshi (freedom for a month)
that is good for 1 month of unlimited travel on urban buses. The
price is equal to 40 ordinary 1 way tickets.
Egged
buses do not usually cross the ‘Green Line’
into the West Bank, except for the annexed areas, such as Gilo,
which are now considered to be fully integrated districts of the
city of Jerusalem. Egged buses also travel to the Jewish towns and
settlements on the West Bank, several of which are near Jerusalem.
Arab bus companies, serving east Jerusalem, as well as Arab towns
within Israel and the West Bank, operate from the East Jerusalem
Bus Station, at Sultan Suleiman Street, or on Nablus Road, both
of which are near Damascus Gate.
These buses are painted green and white
or blue, and while they tend to be crowded and
rickety, they’re cheap and run each day, including Friday
and Saturday. Payment is made to the driver upon boarding.
Buses have been a favourite target of suicide bombers
and some visitors may feel that bus travel is too dangerous. Despite
the fact that Israeli bus drivers are highly trained to anticipate
and deal with danger, this has proved insufficient when dealing
with the particular threat of suicide attackers. However, buses
remain the most popular and cheap form of transport and Israelis
are still using them as normal.
Bombers can, of course, target anywhere, not just buses. It is safer
to take long distance non stop buses, which depart from a central
bus station (where there is high security), rather than buses that
stop regularly to pick up more passengers. Visitors who notice anyone
or anything suspicious (whilst waiting for a bus, boarding a bus
or during a journey) should walk quickly up to the front of the
bus and tell the driver straight away, even if the bus is moving.
All bus drivers can speak some English.
Taxis
Taxis, which look like ordinary cars with a coloured light
displayed, are legally required to use a meter for every
journey. However, travellers occasionally need to insist that the
meter be turned on. If, as frequently happens, the driver claims
that the meter is ‘broken’, it is wise either to agree
a fare beforehand or find an alternative taxi. To avoid being cheated,
it is worth asking your hotel receptionist or the tourist office
for some idea of what the fare to precise destinations should be.
Taxis can be summoned in the street or booked
in advance. About 20 different taxi companies ply the streets of
Jerusalem, including the popular Nesher Taxis (telephone: (02) 623
1231), based at the intersection of Ben Yehuda Street and King George
V Avenue in west Jerusalem, right across from the City Tower. Other
recommended taxi companies are listed on the Jerusalem city website.
In the present situation, for safety reasons, numerous west Jerusalem
taxi drivers prefer not to go into Arab districts at all. Fares
are 25 % higher at night and on Shabbat. Tipping is not usual, and
not expected, however a very small gratuity of about 5 % is sometimes
given.
Sherutim
An substitute to a taxi or bus is the popular sherut (literally
‘service’, ie service taxi, the plural in Hebrew is
sherutim but visitors should be aware that this also means toilets).
These shared taxis are generally
stretched Mercedes or minibuses, seating 7 or 12, and they usually
follow fixed public bus routes. However, they allow passengers to
get on and off anywhere on the journey and may take other routes
when necessary to dodge heavy traffic.
Delays are rare and passengers should board quickly
as drivers pull away sharply, both drivers and passengers are very
intolerant of anyone holding things up. Some sheruts run on Shabbat.
Fares are generally about the same as bus fares, sheruts running
regular set routes within the city are mostly only available in
west Jerusalem, but will go to other areas on request (for a fee).
They also serve as a well known way of travelling from Jerusalem
to Tel Aviv or the airport.
Driving
in the City
Driving in all parts of Jerusalem, except the Old City, is fairly
straight forward, although traffic on the main roads is bad and
driving tends to be violent. For most sightseeing
or getting around in central west Jerusalem, it is more pleasant
to walk or use local buses. Vehicles are only allowed to enter the
Old City through Jaffa Gate, following the road through the Armenian
Quarter, where there is limited parking. Alternatively, the Karta
parking lot, below the walls of the Old City, near Jaffa Gate, has
space for 5,000 vehicles and is open 6 days a week (closed on Shabbat).
Much of Israel uses the EasyPark smartcard
system, an in car electronic device (about the
size of a pocket calculator), which mechanically deducts the cost
of street parking from the driver’s credit or debit card and
which can be read electronically by parking attendants. Most locals
have 1 of these devices in their cars, but it is also possible to
buy traditional parking cards. These can be obtained from post offices,
street kiosks and gas stations. The traditional parking card is
a strip of paper with punched tabs for the hours of the day, drivers
tear a tab to designate the month, day and hour they parked. 5 different
kerbside colour codes
indicate what parking is allowed, blue and white means parking is
allowed with pre paid parking cards only. Visitors should not park
where there is any other kerbside colour as they all represent restrictions
and parking regulations are severely enforced.
Car
Hire
The majority of car hire companies are situated in central west
Jerusalem. If a car is hired locally, rental fees are moderate,
pre booking through an agency overseas may result in a higher price.
Rates usually go up at peak holiday times. To rent a car, drivers
must be over 24 years and in possession of a full national driving
licence with at least 2 years’ driving experience, insurance
and an international credit card. Car rental companies will not
allow hire cars to be driven into the West Bank at the moment.
Eldan is the main Israeli car hire company.
Address: 24 King David Street
Telephone: (02) 625 2151/2/3
Website address: www.eldan.co.il
It has a user friendly website accepting secure online payment and
offers considerable price discounts for Internet bookings. International
companies include:
Avis
Address: 22 King David Street
Telephone: (02) 624 9001
Website address: www.avis.co.il
Budget Rent-A-Car
Address: 23 King David Street
Telephone: (02) 624 8991
Website address: www.budget.co.il
Hertz
Address: 18 King David Street
Telephone: (02) 623 1351 or 625 6334
Website address: www.hertz.com
Bicycle Hire
Despite the hills, cycling is well known in Jerusalem. Unfortunately,
as in most main cities, there is something of a love - hate relationship
between cyclists and motorists (predominantly during rush hour,
when traffic is intense and tempers are even shorter than usual).
Recently, cycling organisations have been making an effort to increase
public awareness about 2 wheeled
commuters and the need for better cycling paths. This has strengthened
an interest in cycling and has inspired the ongoing construction
of a bike path around Jerusalem, as well as the fact that some now
consider the bicycle a safer means of getting around than public
transport, which has often been targeted by suicide bombers.
However, bike hire in Jerusalem is almost unknown. The Jerusalem
Cyclists Club, 16 Harazim Street (telephone: (02) 643 8386) may
be able to advise, while a useful website for cyclists visiting
Israel is The
Green Wheelers (Mountain Biking in Israel), who organise cycle
rides and tours all over Israel. |
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