Electra-Afikim (Hebrew: אלקטרה-אפיקים, lit. routes), known also as Afikim, is an Israel bus company that operates on routes connecting the Gush Dan and Sharon plain regions with the western Samaria region of the West Bank, as well as lines in Ashdod, Yavne, Rosh HaAyin and other locations.
 | |
| Founded | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Service area | Gush Dan Rosh HaAyin Sharon plain Samaria |
| Service type | bus service |
| Routes | 31 (January 2014) |
| Annual ridership | 53,600,000[1] |
History
editThe company was founded in 2008 and is part of Sela Holdings. It began operating on September 1, 2009.
2010s
editIn March 2013, the company began operating 'Palestinian only' buses and bus lines for Palestinian workers commuting from the West Bank to jobs in Israel, following complaints from Jewish settlers.[2]
Afikim also purchased Connex's activity in Israel in 2013, significantly expanding its operations, and as of November 2014, operated about 145 routes and a fleet of 350 buses, with plans to purchase a further 200 for the Ashdod–Yavne–Tel Aviv sector.[3] In 2015, Afikim won the tender for cluster of Petah Tikva and Rosh HaAyin which includes all intracity service in Petah Tikva and Rosh HaAyin.
On May 6, 2016, Afikim started to operate the intracity and intercity services in Rosh HaAyin and line 47 from Giv'at Shmuel to Petah Tikva. On February 13, 2017, Afikim started to operate line 485 from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport.
2020s
editIn 2021, Electra-Afikim acquired Egged Ta'avura.[4] Since, it has merged the operations and branding of Ta'avura into Electra-Afikim.[4] Electra-Afikim keeps the Ta'avura company active for as long as it has contracts with the Israeli government.
Ridership by sector
editIn 2017, each sector had the following annual ridership:[1]
| Sector | Ridership (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Petah Tikva and Rosh HaAyin internal | 21 |
| Ashdod internal | 15 |
| Ashdod – Yavne – Tel Aviv | 10 |
| Samaria | 5 |
| Jerusalem – Bnei Brak | 3 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b תכנית תחרות ענף התחבורה הציבורית באוטובוסים 2030-2018 שנים [Competition Plan for Bus Public Transportation for Years 2018–2030] (PDF) (Report) (in Hebrew). Israel Ministry of Transport. June 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ^ Levinson, Chaim (3 March 2013). "Israel Introduces 'Palestinian Only' Bus Lines, Following Complaints From Jewish Settlers". Haaretz. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ "Afikim Won Ashdod–Yanve–Rehovot Route Tender". News1 (in Hebrew). October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
- ^ a b "במסלול של הגדולים: אלקטרה-אפיקים רוכשת את אגד-תעבורה, כמה זה יעלה לה?" (in Hebrew). Ice. 6 May 2021.