Bicycle bill up for Knesset debate
Environmental bill aimed at increasing bicycle use in cities to be introduced before House next week. Bill favored by all parties, Finance Ministry considered biggest hurdle
Is the government for or against encouraging the use of bicycles in Israel? The government's official stand on the issue is "absolutely, yes"; but the Finance Ministry is not so quick to get behind the initiative.
In late march, the government went as far to hold a cabinet meeting in a Galilee cave and announced a formal government environmental initiative pushing for the increased use of bicycles in cities; but some government bureaus have began voicing their objections to a private bill brought before the Knesset on the matter.
The main objections are coming form the Treasury, of course. The ministry is against the bill initiated by Knesset Members Dov Khenin (Hadash) and Michael Melchior (Labor-Meimad) due to the sizable expenditures it entails.
The bill is the most comprehensive ever brought before the Knesset on the matter: It calls for a campaign to boost awareness and use of bicycles; for improving existing infrastructure and creating a new one; for making busses and trains allow bikes to be taken aboard and for giving tax benefits to those choosing to use their bicycles to get to work.
The Interior Ministry also had some objections to the bill, over section dealing with the municipalities' obligations to create cycling infrastructure, but Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit has recently announced his ministry is withdrawing its objections to the bill and will not offer it its full support.
Environmentally friendly Knesset? (Illustration: Visual Photos)
The Transportation Ministry is ambiguous: The ministry's official stand is that of backing the bill, as well as any other initiative which prompts the use of bicycles for transportations; but is has voiced several reservations regarding various sections of the bill, such as the one calling for buses or the Israeli Railway to allow passengers to bring their bicycles aboard.
"Of course we are backing the initiative calling for the use of bicycles," a source closed to Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz told Ynet. "We are also pushing for several other moves to forward it; but you have to understand that the bill has a few glitches. Inapplicable legislation won't do anyone any good."
Thirty environmental groups have already appealed to various government offices in the past week, trying to rally up as much support for the bill as possible before it is introduced to the House.
The bill, which goes before the Ministerial Committee on Legislation on Sunday, has across-the-board support from all parties, with 70 MKs signing it so far and practically guaranteeing it would be brought for a preliminary vote, even if the legislation committee objects to the move.
Should the bill pass its Knesset readings, its implementation would still depend on the full cooperation of the government bureaus involved, including that of the Finance Ministry.
