Management of Public Transport Lines at the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Palestine

● The State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) clarified in its annual report for 2021 observations and indications of weakness in the performance of the Public Transport Lines Department in the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Palestine. Regarding the role of the General Administration of Traffic Inspector in achieving the objectives of the sectoral transport plan, the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) accordingly listed the following observations and clarifications in its annual report for 2021:

- No operational plan was prepared for the General Administration of the Traffic Inspector that is linked to the sectoral transport plan, which the ministry regards as its strategic plan for the years 2017-2022.

- The administration did not issue periodic reports clarifying the activities it carries out, for the purpose of measuring the extent to which the objectives set out in the sectoral plan are achieved.

- There is no linkage between the work of the administration and the national policy agenda based on the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly indicator 2, which specifies the necessity of everyone’s access to a safe, accessible and sustainable transport system and of paying special attention to remote areas.

● Procedures followed by the General Administration of the Traffic Inspector in determining the number of "Birmit" lines

- The Bureau found weaknesses in the provision of regulations pertaining to transport lines and their routes within the ministry, and the ministry does not work to issue special regulations for regulating public transport, which would enable the General Administration of the Traffic Inspector to set the foundations and standards that organize the work and determine the number of lines required for each route and the mechanism for introducing them.

- Some studies related to the appropriateness of the number of "Birmit" permits available for each route showed disparities in the number of transport means available in areas despite proximity in population numbers.

- There is no systematic mechanism to introduce new "Birmit" permits, as a number of operating permits were introduced on some lines without any supporting documentation for these introductions, or any reasons clarifying the actual need for them.

● Main considerations affecting the number of its "Birmit" lines:

1- The number of "Birmit" permits and their routes did not take into account developments that affect the number of "Birmit" permits and that require changing their routes or introducing them, or the obstacles facing drivers in a manner that meets the citizen’s needs.

2- Collection stations for public vehicles are not provided in all areas in proportion to the number of existing vehicles, and no work is done to reduce the length of passengers’ waiting times at vehicle collection stations during hours when passenger movement is low or congested during peak hours.

3- There is no adherence to the specified working hours for the "Birmit" lines, and nothing indicates consideration of geographic distance and the number of "Birmit" lines operating on them, and the provision of lines for remote areas!

● The extent of compliance with the conditions for granting "Birmit" permits, whether with respect to the fare, adherence to the route of the line, the number of passengers, and others

1- There are no documented procedures to follow up on compliance with the specified fare, as the General Administration does not follow up on the weekly reports issued by the Road Safety Patrols for the purpose of tracking the violations included in them regarding public vehicles, such as the violation of adherence to the fare, or the withdrawal of a public permit, and others.

2- The ministry does not analyze complaints submitted to it regarding fares for the purpose of addressing the matter, and there are no documented procedures to monitor compliance with the number of passengers allowed according to the approved license.

● Methodology, criteria and procedures for transfers between lines

1- The number of lines whose routes were changed during the years 2020-2021 is approximately 54 lines, with multiple reasons for the transfers on these lines. There is weakness in the procedures followed by the Traffic Inspector in organizing transfer procedures.

2- No studies are prepared to determine the need to add public vehicles to lines, which should take into account the population size and the number of licenses, operating on the line, the presence of vital centers in the area and all the data that determine the actual need for the required increase.

● Coordination with related parties

1- Coordination procedures with the administration’s partner parties do not achieve the intended purpose effectively, as the General Administration of the Traffic Inspector does not coordinate with local bodies for the purpose of deciding cooperation in areas of joint work.

2- The General Administration of the Traffic Inspector does not coordinate with the Sub-Committee on Traffic to inform them of existing problems and attempt to reach appropriate solutions, and the administration does not coordinate with the Palestinian Police Force for cooperation and the regulation of public transport and the inclusion of some items for verification by the police in the course of their duties, which would strengthen the work of both parties. In addition, the coordination procedures with partner directorates in the ministry are conducted in a non-systematic manner...

● The Ministry of Transport and Communications responded to the Bureau’s report and their response was positive – according to what the Bureau reported.