State Comptroller Engleman to the Parliament: The Transportation Ministry Must Focus on the Public's Needs

The State Comptroller and Ombudsman published the day before an audit report which cited a leap in complaints about public transportation. The State Comptroller cited the issue of public transportation corporations that illegally demand collection costs in addition to the fines they levied on riders who didn't properly pay the fare with their transportation cards.

The State Comptroller criticized the Transportation Ministry which sided with the public transportation corporations who contended that they were not under the jurisdiction of state audit or the Ombudsman.

The State Comptroller requested from the committee chairman to initiate a parliament decision, in accordance the State Comptroller Law. This decision will enable the State Comptroller and the Ombudsman to investigate issues concerning service and safety on all public transport corporations. These corporations serve one billion passengers and receive 4 billion dollars in public subsidies annually.

The State Comptroller commented that, “It is necessary to make all public transportation corporations subject to state audit and give the Ombudsman authority to investigate complaints against them.

The Supreme Court had previously concluded that a Parliament decision was necessary in order to make the transportation corporations subject to state audit and the Ombudsman. The State Comptroller asked the committee chairman “to throw down the gauntlet” and commented “It is essential to realize that the majority of public transport users are individuals that need assistance to advance. It is absurd that the State Comptroller cannot investigate complaints from these individuals. The Transportation Ministry must focus on public transportation commuters.”