How much have we progressed under Miri Regev at the Ministry of Transport?

From road safety to infrastructure investment: we analyzed the performance of Transport Minister Miri Regev. Rising road fatalities and mixed budget execution contrast with the recovery of public transport usage. The 'Performance Traffic Light' — a special project.

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How much have we progressed under Miri Regev at the Ministry of Transport?
Photo: Globes / מירי רגב / צילום: מארק ישראל סלם - הג'רוזלם פוסט

The 'Traffic Light' index of 'Mashrokit' summarizes the tenure of government ministers using data-driven analysis. The summary covers three parameters concerning their work in the ministry's fields, formulated in consultation with experts.

Grading Legend

  • Red light: deterioration in most parameters or no improvement in any.

  • Yellow light: deterioration in one parameter, improvement in a second, and no change in a third.

  • Green light: improvement in most parameters or improvement in one with no deterioration in the rest.


1. Deadly years on the roads

Since Miri Regev took office in December 2022, there has been an increase in road accident fatalities. The figure rose from 164 fatalities per hundred thousand residents (January-May 2022) to 189 per million in 2024–2025 — an increase of about 15%. In 2026, the figure remained relatively high (17.5).

Reasons include a lack of enforcement, such as a shortage of patrol cars and the need to upgrade cameras. Senior officials of the National Road Safety Authority resigned in protest against the minister's inaction, and Israel was suspended from the European Road Safety Council. The Ministry of Transport notes that in November 2025, Regev introduced a 2026–2030 safety plan with a budget of 350 million shekels per year, supplemented by infrastructure investments.

2. Budget execution

The execution rate of the Ministry of Transport's budget dropped from 96% to 79% in 2025 (a 23% decrease). The ministry claims that the 'expenditure budget' remains consistent with previous years, while the decrease in 'authorization to commit' is due to the nature of long-term projects and scheduling adjustments. Regev announced a 50 billion shekel transport development agreement for 2023–2027, though war-related cuts delayed 11 major projects.

3. Public transport

After a 2020 drop, validation numbers rose, but growth slowed: 6% in 2023, 7% in 2024, and only 1% in 2025. Experts suggest this reflects a post-COVID correction rather than genuine growth, influenced by remote work and the opening of the Gush Dan light rail. The Ministry of Transport highlights the 'Transport Justice' reform and a record of one billion trips in 2025.


Ministry of Transport Response

The Ministry of Transport criticized the 'Mashrokit' analysis as biased and selective. It asserts that as of July 2026, fatalities decreased by 9%, and cash budget execution reached 99%. The ministry maintains that the authors' methodology fails to meet professional standards.

'Mashrokit' Clarification

'Mashrokit' of 'Globes' rejects the claims of bias, stating that the analysis is based solely on open data from the National Road Safety Authority, the Central Bureau of Statistics, and the Ministry of Finance.

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