The streets of some of the outlying districts of Tel Aviv were so deserted and free of vehicular traffic yesterday, as the first gasoline-less Sabbath was observed, that it reminded many veterans of the British administration of Palestine of the days when the population was under house curfew.
Many residents of this city were unable to leave it yesterday as taxicab drivers decided to garage their cabs on Friday and Saturday, thus removing all except a few diplomatic and special commercial vehicles from the streets. The cab drivers, demanding the right to operate their cabs six days a week, instead of five as ordered by Minister of Communications David Pinkas, are keeping their vehicles off the streets on Saturday which is one of the “idle” days for all privately-owned vehicles, in an attempt to pressure the Minister into changing the regulations in their behalf.
The beaches around Tel Aviv were fairly crowded, nevertheless, with many thousands walking or cycling to them. Additional numbers hitched rides on vehicles which had legitimate business on the streets. When traffic resumed Saturday night several accidents occurred and four persons were killed and a number injured. On Friday night, when the ban on vehicles began, police enforced the regulation strictly and seized the licenses of all violators of the Sabbath curfew. They will be suspended for 30 days, as per regulations.
All automobiles now bear symbols indicating the days on which they may not be driven. Meanwhile, Army headquarters has called on all staff officers to cut down on the amount of fuel used in military driving. The use of bicycles was recommended for the delivery of ordinary messages.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
