Attorney General Yitzhak Zamir has ordered an immediate investigation of the Egged bus cooperative management’s strike against the government. The bus co-op, which has a virtual monopoly of service all over Israel, halted bus service in Jerusalem about 7 p.m. last night.
It acted to force the government to hand over funds for buses purchased a year ago which Egged says the government promised to pay for. The government responded by stopping all subsidies to Egged until it had a written pledge from the management not to halt service again. Egged spokesman Gideon Talmar warned the government to withdraw that ultimatum or face a suspension of bus service countrywide.
Transportation Minister Haim Corfu said if there was a bus strike, his ministry would operate the busses under an emergency public transportation plan. Meanwhile, the Attorney General intends to press legal charges against the Egged management and executives for violation of the terms of their franchise.
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