Abstract
- In the last decade, a sharp increase has been registered in the motorization level and in the rate of possession of drivers’ licenses in Arab society, following the rise in the standard of living and the increase in the number of those going out to work and to study.
- The mileage of vehicles in Arab cities has expanded rapidly, and the average mileage of a vehicle in Arab cities is higher compared with Jewish cities in the same geographical regions.
- Arab employees use private vehicles at higher rates than Jewish employees as a means of getting to work, and in this period, the gap between populations has even widened.
- A rise has been noted in expenditures on vehicles by Arab households, and the gap has closed compared with expenditures by Jewish households.
- Investment in public transport in Arab communities has not been enough to bring about an increase in the rate of Arabs using public transport, or an improvement in the satisfaction of the users themselves.
- These developments are expected, ultimately, to increase congestion on the roads, especially in concentrations of Arab populations, to increase the time taken to reach work and to limit Arabs’ ability to integrate into employment outside their region of abode.
- The sharp cut in five-year plans for Arab society for 2022-2026 is expected to impact the development of transportation infrastructures, and to pose great difficulties in the efforts to address the problem.
- Decision-makers must find a way to continue developing public transportation in and around Arab communities, while at the same time decreasing the demand for mileage in Arab society by establishing quality places of employment close to Arab population centers.
