In a festive ceremony that took place this morning (Mon) at the Egged compound in Kiryat Haim, in the presence of the Minister of Transportation and Intelligence Israel Katz, the Minister of Environmental Protection Ze'ev Elkin, the Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav, KKL Chairman Danny Atar and Egged Chairman Avi Friedman, 25 electric buses were launched that will operate in Haifa and the Kiryat and an electric charging terminal was inaugurated in the complex. As part of the launch project, the first of its kind in Israel, for the purpose of which an electric charging terminal was inaugurated in the Egged complex in Kiryat Haim, 25 electric buses in the Haifa and Kiryat area will be operational in two weeks.
The entry of electric buses into service is done within the framework of an overall policy led by the Israeli government to integrate alternative energy technologies, electricity and natural gas, in public transportation in Israel. The Egged company was selected as part of a call published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, about a year and a half ago, for the purchase of 25 new electric-powered buses, jointly financed with the National Fund for Israel and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, as part of a wide-ranging joint initiative, "KKL to Breathe", in which KKL stood An investment of about NIS 340 million for projects together with the Ministry of Environmental Protection...
Deputy Minister for Environmental Protection, MK Yaron Mazuz: ""This is a real environmental revolution, which will significantly reduce air pollution and will be the first swallow to continue the green trend in Haifa. As a native of Haifa and a resident of the Kiryat, who is in charge of pollution in the Haifa Bay, I am happy that the program brings good news and a solution to the pollution caused by public transportation, with the aim that this model will be spread throughout the country And with the ambition that the public transportation available to the citizens of the country will be of high quality, green and clean.'
Chairman of Egged Avi Friedman: "Today, in fact, public transportation begins, the characteristic of which is clean air. The city of Haifa was chosen because it is the city where I think the revolution should have started. The revolution is now receiving the opening shot of the order of 25 buses that have no equal in the State of Israel and I can say that this is also a revolution in the field of alternative energy world".
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav: "I am happy to be a partner in the revolution and the celebration of the launch because we are in the midst of a struggle that will eventually be decided and there will be a bay with an excellent unpolluted quality of life. Today the launch of the buses is definitely an amazing step forward to achieve the goal that the entire Haifa Bay area and the Kiryat will be completely free of pollution."
During the ceremony, Yahav also addressed the issue of Haifa Chemical factories and workers: "It is possible to combine work, factories with environmental quality. There is no reason to fire Haifa Chemical workers because if they do in Haifa Chemicals in the North what they do in the South with the isotanks tomorrow morning the factory will be working."
