Founded | 2008 |
---|---|
Service area | Gush Dan Rosh HaAyin Sharon plain Samaria West Bank |
Service type | bus service |
Routes | 31 (January 2014) |
Annual ridership | 53,600,000[1] |
Afikim (Hebrew: אפיקים, lit. routes) is an Israel bus company that operates on routes connecting the Gush Dan and Sharon plain regions with the western Samaria region of the West Bank, as well as lines in Ashdod, Yavne, Rosh HaAyin and other locations.
History
The company was founded in 2008 and is part of Sela Holdings. It began operating on September 1, 2009. In 2013 Afikim purchased Connex's activity in Israel, significantly expanding its operations, and as of November 2014 operates about 145 routes. Its fleet numbers about 350 buses and a further 200 are being purchased for the Ashdod–Yavne–Tel Aviv sector.[2] In 2015, Afikim won the tender for cluster of Petah Tikva and Rosh HaAyin which includes all intracity service in Petah Tikva and Rosh HaAyin.
On May 6 2016, Afikim started to operate the intracity and intercity services in Rosh HaAyin and line 47 from Giv'at Shmuel to Petah Tikva.
On February 13 2017, Afikim started to operate line 485 from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport.
Ridership by sector
In 2017, each sector had the following annual ridership:[1]
Sector | Ridership (in millions) |
---|---|
Petah Tikva and Rosh HaAyin internal | 21 |
Ashdod internal | 14.7 |
Ashdod – Yavne – Tel Aviv | 10 |
Samaria | 4.9 |
Jerusalem – Bnei Brak | 3 |
Criticism
Involvement in Israeli settlements
On 12 February 2020, the United Nations published a database of companies doing business related in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as in the occupied Golan Heights.[3] Afikim was listed on the database on account of its activities in Israeli settlements in these occupied territories,[4] which are considered illegal under international law.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b תכנית תחרות ענף התחבורה הציבורית באוטובוסים 2030-2018 שנים [Competition Plan for Bus Public Transportation for Years 2018–2030] (PDF) (Report) (in Hebrew). Israel Ministry of Transport. June 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ^ "Afikim Won Ashdod–Yanve–Rehovot Route Tender". News1 (in Hebrew). October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
- ^ "Database of all business enterprises involved in certain activities relating to Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank (A/HRC/43/71)". UN OCHA. 12 Feb 2020. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
- ^ "UN rights office issues report on business activities related to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "S/RES/2334(2016)". United Nations Security Council. 23 December 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
Media related to Afikim (company) at Wikimedia Commons