Gilboa Regional Council to operate free shuttle service with 18 buses to 33 communities

The Gilboa Regional Council will begin operating a free regional shuttle system called G-LINE on Sunday, October 4, which will include eight routes and 18 yellow buses connecting the 33 communities of the council to education centers, clubs, culture, sports and recreation facilities.

The service will open to the public in pilot format and will operate Sunday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. According to the council, its goal is to reduce dependence on private vehicles and parental transportation and to allow children, teenagers and senior citizens to reach activities and other communities independently.

The routes will meet at two central transfer hubs, Yael and Ein Harod, with Route 4 connecting them. The council stated that arrival times at the hubs were coordinated to allow transfers between routes and continued travel to the destination, that each route was assigned a number and color, and that designated stops and signage were placed in the communities.

In preparation for operation, drivers conducted test runs along the routes. Schedules and routes will be integrated into the Moovit app, and according to the council the stops and rides will be recorded and monitored by the council's command center.

Regional Council Head Dani Atar said: 'Our test won't be how many buses are on the road, but rather whether in a few months a resident of Gilboa will feel that the space they live in has become more accessible, closer and freer.' According to him, the pilot period will also serve to test the service and adapt it to residents' needs, and he invited residents to use the system and provide feedback: 'We will listen, learn and improve the system with you.'