Israel Public Transportation: Usage Trends and Satisfaction

Despite heavy traffic congestion and government efforts to promote public transportation, half of all Israelis aged 20 and over did not ride a bus even once during the past year. The finding comes from the 2025 Social Survey released Wednesday by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

The survey included 6,452 respondents aged 20 and above, representing approximately 6.3 million people. Researchers examined public transportation usage patterns and satisfaction levels with bus service, light rail systems, and Israel Railways.

Data shows that 50% of adults (roughly 3.2 million people) used public buses in the past year. Women used buses at slightly higher rates than men, 53% compared to 47%. Young adults aged 20-24 showed the highest usage at 73%, but overall bus ridership has declined over the past decade, dropping from 57% in 2015 to 50% today.

Among those who use buses, only 15% ride daily or nearly daily, 13% travel once or twice weekly, and 18% use buses twice monthly or less.

Light rail in Tel Aviv (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

When asked about bus service quality, 52% of the public rated Israeli bus operations positively, while 31% gave negative assessments. However, satisfaction with intercity bus frequency painted a less encouraging picture: only 31% expressed contentment with service intervals.

Among major cities, Bnei Brak led with 50% of residents satisfied with intercity bus frequency, compared to just 29% in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. This metric also showed decline compared to data from a decade ago.

Of those who used buses in the past year, only 56% agreed they could generally reach their destination within a reasonable timeframe using public transportation.

Proximity to bus stops received higher marks: 82% of riders expressed satisfaction with the location of their nearest stop. Tel Aviv district recorded the highest satisfaction at 89%, compared to 75% in the Northern district.

Maintenance standards also scored well, with 71% of passengers satisfied with bus condition, including cleanliness, ventilation, and comfort. About a quarter reported dissatisfaction.

Lod railway station (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

In cities with light rail service, 43% of residents said the system meets their needs to a large or moderate extent. Fifteen percent said it doesn't meet their needs, while 42% either don't use it or couldn't answer.

The gap between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jaffa proved striking: in Jerusalem, the light rail meets the needs of 50% of residents, compared to only 28% in Tel Aviv. Nearly half of Tel Aviv residents (47%) don't use the light rail at all.

Israel Railways received the highest satisfaction ratings among public transportation options. Forty-four percent of adults (approximately 2.8 million people) used the train system in the past year, representing an increase since 2015, particularly in the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv districts and in Judea and Samaria.

Sixty-six percent of the public rated Israel Railways' performance positively, up from 58% a decade ago. Among those who actually rode trains in the past year, positive ratings jumped to 86%.

Service metrics showed strong satisfaction: 80% of passengers were pleased with train frequency, 71% with station locations, and 92% with car maintenance, including cleanliness, ventilation, and comfort. Additionally, 94% of riders reported they can usually obtain clear and accurate information about train schedules.