(haipo) - Public transportation in Haifa operates until the wee hours of the night and allows young people to enjoy the entertainment in the city without worrying about the time to return home. The night lines, the Matron, the cable car and the Carmelite, operate throughout the city and in central areas provide convenient, fast and safe transportation, thus young people can move freely and without depending on a private car.
Information about public transportation in Haifa
The Carmelite of Haifa is the subway in the city. Carmelit serves as a public transportation system connecting the neighborhoods of the lower city and the mountain neighborhoods, and it moves along a route of only about 2 kilometers. The route starts in the lower city and climbs to the center of Carmel, passing through the various neighborhoods.
Carmelit in Haifa has 6 stations:
- The neighborhood's central station (Paris Square)
- Masada station
- The Station of the Prophets
- Hadassah station
- Gan Ham station
- Carmel Center Station
Hours of activity of the Carmelite: Sunday-Thursday: 24:00-6:00, Motzesh: 19:00-24:00.
The matron of Haifa:
The Haifa Matron is a unique public transportation system that combines light rail and bus, and operates in the Haifa metropolis.
The matron operates in several main lines:
- Line 1: Connects between the Carmel Beach and Kiryat Ata, passing through the center of Haifa, Kiryat Motzkin and Kiryat Bialik
- Line 2: Connects between the Carmel beach and Kiryat Yam, passes through the center of Haifa and Kiryat
- Line 3: Connecting Haifa, Kiryat Yam and Kiryat Ata
- Line 4: Connects Haifa Bat Galim train station with Technion and Haifa University
Hours: The matron works 24 hours a day.
Haifa's cable car:
Haifa's cable car is a unique public transportation system in Israel, which combines cable car travel as a daily means of transportation and not just a touristic one.
The cable car operates between three central stations:
- The Gulf Center
- The Technion
- Haifa University
Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 6:00-24:00, Thursday: 6:00-2:00, Saturday: 18:30-24:00
Night lines in Haifa:
Night lines in Haifa are part of a night public transportation system intended to serve the residents of the city and the surrounding area late at night.
The night lines in Haifa:
- Line 200: Connecting the center of Haifa, the Kiryat, and the lower city
- Line 210: Connects between the center of Carmel and the beach and Carmel Castle
- Line 218: Operates between the University of Haifa, the Technion, and the center of Haifa
- Line 231: Connects between Kiryat Haim and the Kiryat and the center of Haifa
Hours: 24:00-4:00 every day.
Donating the night lines to young people
We talked to young people from Haifa and checked with them how the night lines contribute to their daily routine and what advantages this service has for them.
Plai Meir, a doctoral student in political science at the University of Haifa, talks about the benefits that the night lines provide to student life in the city. Meir emphasizes the significant difference between traveling by taxi and traveling by bus in terms of costs, when it comes to a 10-fold ratio of the price. For students who face financial pressure, the possibility of going out to places of entertainment without paying a high amount (like for example the price of a taxi ride), is very significant.
Meir: "I don't have the opportunity to work as often as someone who doesn't study, so every shekel is significant to me. Therefore, one of the advantages of night public transportation is the ability to go to a variety of places in the city without spending large amounts. I have friends who live a little distance from me, so when I want to To meet them, night lines or other public transportation such as metro or cable car becomes a significant advantage for me.
Haifa attracts students from all over the country, for whom public transportation in the city is a convenient and available transportation solution that allows them to get around easily and cheaply. Meir is originally from Jerusalem. He notes that public transportation is an important part of his daily life. As someone who often returns to visit his family in Jerusalem and returns to Haifa late on Saturday night, the service allows him to return to the city without having to rely on expensive taxis.
Long drive
Despite the advantages of cheap and accessible transportation, there are also challenges and points for improvement. Meir points out that the fact that there is only one night line that goes through all of Haifa makes every trip very long. "I live in a dormitory, and when I travel from downtown, the bus passes through every neighborhood in the city, and the journey becomes very long," he says.
And so is the wait…
In addition, the frequency of the buses is very limited, mainly due to the limited number of lines: "This means that in addition to the travel time, there is a waiting time, which sometimes reaches half an hour or forty minutes, so that in the end a half hour trip on a normal day turns into two hours at night."
The youth gains a sense of independence
The young men and women of the city also enjoy the benefits of public transportation in Haifa for whom they are of special importance since they do not yet hold a driver's license due to their young age.
Noya Fink, 15 years old from Haifa, says that the night lines have improved her sense of security late at night: "As a young girl, I feel safer when I'm on a bus and not walking around the streets alone," she explains. Another advantage she emphasizes is the independence that public transportation gives her: "I can get from place to place on my own, without being dependent on my parents or limited when returning home. Since public transportation is available at night, I find myself going out more, because the accessibility allows me to get anywhere easily And when it's convenient for me."
Eliran Shemesh, 17 years old from Haifa, adds and describes the importance of nighttime public transportation to him and his friends, especially when some of them do not yet hold a driver's license, and others, who already have a license, do not always have a vehicle available or are obliged to have an escort at night. "Public transportation at night, including the night lines and the matron, is very helpful to me and my friends. Most of us do not have a license, and those who do - sometimes cannot travel at night because of the need for an escort. The lines and the additional transportation allow us to move from place to place at night without a problem."
On the main advantages of public transportation in the city, Eliran says: "The night lines pass through central locations, such as line 205 that connects the Haifa Mall to the neighborhood of Carmel Sharfati, Carmel, Hadar and Lower City, line 200 that connects the mall to Moriah, and line 208 that connects Bat Galim to Carmel, Moriah In addition, the shuttle runs until the wee hours of the night and passes through all parts of the city, which allows us to get around easily and comfortably wherever we want to go, even late at night.
Eliran says that public transportation has improved his sense of security, and for him it is a safe way to get around at night without having to walk alone on the streets. "Public transportation has greatly affected my ability to spend time outside the home, because it passes almost everywhere I spend time, so I can get around at night safely and comfortably."
There is room for improvement - but the service is essential and useful
Although there are also points for improvement, especially with regard to the congestion on the lines that is felt from time to time according to the interviewees, the long travel times and the rather low frequency, the night line service provides an essential and successful transportation solution for young people in the city. The youth and students can move around at night, go to places of entertainment while their personal safety is preserved even in the late hours. There is no doubt that the night lines contribute to the social life and independence of young people in Haifa, make the various places in the city accessible and make it more accessible even in the wee hours of the night.
Nice thing, also the matron lines that work 24/7 💪
There was an excellent service that should have been continued - Egged Bag TK.
It should have been run instead of Koi tonight. You pay NIS 15 and get a ride from place to place without too many unnecessary turns. It would serve more audiences without a car, such as adults who need to go to the emergency room, workers after night shifts, etc.