Israel has recorded 20 deaths in bus-related accidents so far in 2026, according to police data, as the country grapples with a severe shortage of around 5,000 bus drivers. The driver shortage has forced public transport operators to reduce service frequency on many routes, whilst existing drivers are increasingly operating under stress, leading to impatient and dangerous driving behaviour that puts lives at risk.

The fatality figures have prompted fresh calls from transport safety experts for systemic overhaul across Israel’s public transport sector. They argue that improving working conditions and employment terms for bus drivers is essential to reducing accidents, as driver fatigue and poor morale are significant contributors to unsafe driving practices.

However, experts also point to a technological solution that could prevent the majority of these tragic incidents. Advanced safety systems—including collision avoidance technology and driver monitoring systems—are seen as a practical, implementable measure that could be deployed across Israel’s bus fleet relatively quickly. Advocates argue that such technology represents a realistic interim solution whilst longer-term reforms to driver employment and recruitment are being pursued.

The combination of chronic understaffing, challenging working conditions, and the absence of modern safety features in many buses has created a perfect storm for road accidents. Transport officials are now weighing investment in both human resources improvements and technological safeguards as they attempt to reverse the upward trend in bus-related fatalities.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.