Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway closed after bus catches fire
Traffic halted in both directions of Highway 1 after Egged bus goes up in flames; cause of blaze unclear.
Highway 1, the main road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, was closed to traffic in both directions near Neve Ilan on Wednesday morning, after a bus went up in flames. Traffic police rushed to the scene, along with four teams of firemen, while a water tanker arrived from Jerusalem.
The cause of the fire was unclear, but no injuries were reported.
The traffic around Israel has been heavy in recent days due to the Passover holiday.
In the central Dan Region, Aluf Sadeh junction was overloaded with traffic due to a large number of visitors to the National Park in Ramat Gan. Police have asked civilians to refrain from driving through the area in private vehicles.
Traffic also reached record numbers in the Northern highways including Highway 675 , also know as the Ta'anachim Road, between Sargel Junction and Navot Junction, and on Highway 75, from Nazareth Junction South to Nahalal Junction.
The parking lots in Beit She'an Valley, Gan HaShlosha, and HaMayanot Park were at full capacity.
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The National Traffic Police released a statement on Wednesday confirming that there have been five deaths in road accidents in the last two days.
"The Department of Traffic Examination is investigating the accidents and it looks like two of them occurred as a result of people stopping on the hard shoulder, and three from drivers failing to stay in their lane of traffic. All of these were most likely due to distractions," said the statement.
The Traffic Department has issued guidelines for drivers to maintain road safety:
Listen to police and traffic volunteers.
Avoid stopping at the shoulder of the road except for in emergencies, rest areas, or designated areas. In case of mechanical failures, call the police and wait on the opposite side of the safety rail until a police unit arrives.
Make sure that child restraints are functioning and avoid all distractions while driving. Especially avoid sending text messages.
In preparation for long drives with children, it's recommended to prepare in advance for something to keep the children occupied during to trip to avoid distraction of the driver.
Drivers are responsible for not drinking alcohol before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
When driving at night, make sure to stop at designated rest areas often.
Drivers must pay attention to two-wheeled vehicles, especially bicycles that are traveling on the road.
Be especially wary of pedestrians and children in particular. Please remember that many of them are on vacation and use paths and cross-walks.
