Anwar Abu Alaba, head of the Gaza Strip Bus Companies Owners’ Union, said on Sunday that about 70% of the territory’s buses had stopped operating because of restrictions on bringing in buses, spare parts, oil and tires. He warned that the number of buses operating each day was declining, threatening the continuity of the public transport system.
Road damage drives up breakdowns and costs
Abu Alaba said damage to roads and streets since the start of the war had deepened the transport crisis amid widespread destruction and the presence of rubble and concrete blocks, making it harder for buses to move and leading to repeated breakdowns.
He added that higher operating and repair costs had made it extremely difficult for transport companies to continue, noting that a company that once owned 20 or 30 buses could now operate only about six.
Decline in school transport buses
Abu Alaba said the crisis had affected the transport of school students, with only about 30% of the 450 buses allocated for transport still operating.
He said the current solutions were temporary and relied on removing some parts from out-of-service buses and using them to keep other buses running. He called for permission to bring in tires, oil and spare parts, and for the stalled buses to be serviced and repaired.
