CITYPASS, THE company constructing a light railway in Jerusalem, is proposing operating separate carriages for men and women to attract passengers from the city’s large ultra-Orthodox community.
The ultra-Orthodox make up about one-third of Jerusalem’s 750,000 population and, with a high birth rate, their numbers are rapidly expanding. The community wields considerable clout in municipal affairs and their representatives are part of the city’s ruling coalition, even though the current mayor, Nir Barkat, is secular.
CityPass chief executive Yair Naveh said the light rail is designed to serve all Jerusalem residents. “I think what is required is to create alternatives for everyone, and that option exists because of the train’s division into carriages. It is not a problem to declare every third or fourth carriage a ‘kosher’ carriage.”
Despite a court ruling against gender segregation on Jerusalem buses, on a number of buses that pass through religious neighbourhoods women are confined to the back of the vehicle. There have been cases of women who refused to move to the back being verbally, and even physically, abused.
Opponents of what was termed the “kosher bus lines”, argued that Jerusalem was experiencing a Taliban-like takeover. The Jerusalem municipality, which opposes gender segregation, together with the transport ministry, will have the final say on whether the light rail system will be allowed to run separate-sex carriages.
Last month, CityPass was criticised after putting out a questionnaire asking potential passengers if they would mind if Palestinians travelled on the light rail. The first route to operate will serve Jewish and Arab neighbourhoods in the capital. The municipality and the transport ministry termed the questionnaire racist, and said it should not have been sent out.
The light rail, which eventually will cover the whole city, is scheduled to begin operating next April.
The project has been plagued by endless delays and a spiralling budget. The seemingly endless track construction has caused severe damage to commercial enterprises in downturn Jerusalem. Many shops and businesses have already closed down as Jerusalemites preferred to shop elsewhere.