Jerusalem Mayor Announces Plan for Paid Vehicle Entry After Completion of Railway and Tram Lines

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion announced on August 5 at a transportation and parking conference plans to introduce a fee for vehicles entering the city. According to him, this measure will only be implemented after the completion of major infrastructure projects: the railway line connecting Jerusalem’s city center to other regions of the country (read more here), and the full launch of all three Jerusalem tram lines.

“Once railway service to the city center and tram lines are fully operational, we will restrict entry to the city by private vehicles. Those insisting on entering by car will have to pay,” said the mayor.

Lion emphasized that starting September 1, residents will already experience improvements with the reopening of the tram’s red line. Additionally, a section of the green line will open at the end of January. The city is actively building large parking complexes at its entrances to facilitate convenient and attractive transfers to public transportation.

Moshe Ben Zaken, Director General of the Ministry of Transportation, added that the ministry supports infrastructure improvement and public transport development, but stressed that a vehicle entry tax will only be considered when a truly high-quality transportation network is established.