10,000 shekels per trip: fines for public transport operators who hire drivers through contractors
The National Public Transport Authority is launching a crackdown on the use of contract drivers. Operators will face fines of 10,000 shekels for every trip performed by drivers not directly employed by the company.
After years of insufficient enforcement, the National Public Transport Authority is launching a campaign against hiring drivers in violation of official guidelines. In a letter sent on Tuesday to public transport operators, the head of the authority, David Yosef, warned of heavy financial sanctions for operators who violate the obligation of direct employment.
According to the letter, any public transport operator, service contractor, or third party that employs drivers via manpower agencies will be fined a liquidated damage amount of 10,000 shekels for each violating trip. This means the fine will be determined not by the number of prohibited employees, but by the number of trips they performed—a move expected to drive total fines into the hundreds of thousands of shekels.
The decision to increase enforcement follows inspections and monitoring findings by the National Authority. These raised concerns that some operators are continuing to use employment formats that do not align with guidelines published last February. The authority emphasizes that direct employment is critical for maintaining service levels and ensuring the social rights and wage conditions of drivers.
"The responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the competitive procedure, including the direct employment of drivers, is placed entirely on the winning operator," the letter clarified.
To ensure implementation, the National Public Transport Authority plans to expand its oversight. This will include surprise inspections in the field and at company offices, demands for ongoing data, and cross-referencing information against government databases, including pay slips and employment reports.
Operators are now required to re-examine their activities to ensure full compliance with tender provisions and operating agreements, thereby avoiding cumulative fines that could reach millions of shekels.
The "Koach LaOvdim" organization, which represents drivers at Superbus, Electra Afikim, and Dan BaDarom, responded:
"We welcome the Ministry of Transport's decision. Replacing employees with contract drivers has led to a decline in service, as evidenced by ministry inspections. We will continue to fight the next evil: the companies' desire to import foreign drivers at the expense of Israeli drivers."
