The Gur Hasidic community in Arad issued an internal notice instructing students from the community to separate boys and girls during rides on a public bus line.
The directive, aimed mainly at parents and students, was framed as an effort to “strengthen the boundaries of modesty and holiness” in the city.
According to the notice, the arrangement was made in cooperation with local institutions and with the support of Rabbi Volkovitz. It said boys would ride the bus first during peak hours, and girls would be able to use the line only after the boys had disembarked.
The notice instructed passengers to board through the rear door and sit at the back of the bus “in order to allow the students to travel separately.”
Arad Municipality said the directive was an internal instruction issued by the Ger Hasidic community to its students due to heavy bus crowding. The municipality said the instruction did not apply to all residents of Arad.
The Transportation Ministry said neither the ministry nor public transportation companies were party to the matter, as long as it involved internal community guidelines regarding members’ personal preferences for when to use public transportation.
Transportation Ministry says buses must remain open to all
“Public transportation in the State of Israel is public, equal, and accessible to all citizens,” the Transportation Ministry said. “Men and women are permitted to use it at any time and on any line, without distinction.”
The ministry added that it is strictly forbidden to prevent a passenger from boarding a bus, to instruct a passenger on where to sit, or to discriminate against a passenger for any reason, particularly on the basis of gender.
The ministry said that if cases of coercion, discrimination, denial of service, or disruption to passengers are brought to its attention, the National Public Transportation Authority may impose financial sanctions on public transportation operators for failing to comply with the traffic supervisor's directives and established procedures.