The Rav-Kav card has come to Egged. But, you can relax knowing that your multi-ride tickets (כרטיסיות / kartisiyot) are still usable.
A No Fryers subscriber wrote in with the following question:
Any idea what the story is with the introduction of the Rav Kav card for public transit in Jerusalem? Most importantly, what happens to my existing cartisiot?
Inspired by the reader’s question, I finally decided to look at some of the details myself, especially since I have 8 punches on a Jerusalem multi-ride pass burning a hole in my wallet as I write this.
Joining Rav-Kav
Egged is moving exclusively to the Rav-Kav card system and will no longer be issuing monthly (חופשי חודשי / chofshi chodshi) or multi-ride passes. Below are some details about getting a Rav-Kav card.
Where can I get one? Cards are issued throughout the country by several bus companies, including Egged, Dan, and Veolia.- How much do they cost? For the time being, Egged, Dan, and Veolia are issuing them for free.
- If I don’t want to go in and get a card, can I still buy a ticket? On Egged you can be issued an anonymous card by the driver for 5 NIS, and the same can be done on Dan for 10 NIS. Of course, an anonymous card does not offer the same security of reimbursement in case of loss or theft of the card.
- What information do I need to provide to sign up? You can fill out the form on the spot, or you can download the proper form and fill it out in advance if you’re getting your Rav-Kav card from Egged or Veolia.
From paper to plastic
Fortunately, your existing multi-ride passes (כרטיסיות) are still usable on Egged at least for the time being.
רב-קו בירושלים
החל מיום שלישי 1.11.11 מסתיים בירושלים עידן כרטיסיות הנייר וכרטיסי “חופשי-חודשי” מנייר. התשלום על נסיעה בעיר יתבצע רק באמצעות כרטיס ה”רב-קו” או בתשלום חד-פעמי. הנפקת הכרטיס חינם.
להלן מגבלות השימוש ברב-קו באזור ירושלים:
…
- ניתן להמשיך להשתמש בכרטיסיות הנייר עד להודעה חדשה.
Update: 25 October 2011
In the last few hours, Egged has updated their website. Instead of paper multi-ride passes being good until further notice, they are now good until the end of the year.
ניתן להמשיך להשתמש בכרטיסיות הנייר ובכרטיסיות המעבר הישנות בקודים 1, 2 ,3 עד ה- 31.12.11
And, as discussed in the comments below, you can get a refund for unused rides.
Good luck with the new system, and share in the comments if you learn anything else interesting about it.
@Shmilty i don’t know buses so well. does this article from @nofryers help? http://t.co/YqzHTcLM …maybe @benjilovitt knows?
If you use your regular Kartisia will you still get afree transfer?
Sharona, I would imagine that while the paper multi-ride passes are still good (until the end of the year) that they will be treated the same. Any corrections or additional insight from readers is welcome.
Does an anonymous card could allow you to share a chofshi chodshi at all?
El, that’s a good question. Egged doesn’t address the issue directly but emphasizes that the holder of an anonymous Rav-Kav card is not entitled to any discounts. Dan states clearly that the kind of tickets you can purchase and put on your Rav-Kav card is limited and does not include a monthly pass (חופשי חודשי). Given of all of that, I would guess the answer is that, unfortunately, it is not possible with Egged either.
For all Jerusalemites, Here’s some Important Info on the New Rav Kav Passes Starting Nov. 1 http://t.co/J28FEMMp
I spoke to an egged driver this morning (in Jerusalem) and asked him about existing kartisiyot. He said that they are usable for the time being, but will become obsolete in a few weeks. However, if you go to the bus satation with any unused or partially used kartisiyot, they will give you cash back for any unused bits, or put them on your ravkav card.
Thanks for letting us know, Ruth. Interestingly, on the Egged website, there is only a reference to being able to get a refund for unused portions once the paper versions are no longer accepted.
It’s good to know that have the option to get a refund or transfer over to Rav-Kav the unused rides immediately; thanks!