tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32118121.post8723245998389774759..comments2024-02-26T18:18:55.644+02:00Comments on Esser Agaroth (2ยข): Competition Creeping Into Israel?Esser Agarothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853681733864707489noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32118121.post-31758929900779878642009-06-02T10:43:55.762+03:002009-06-02T10:43:55.762+03:00Right, Miriam. I noticed this, but forgot to ment...Right, Miriam. I noticed this, but forgot to mention the 641. Thanks.Esser Agarothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12853681733864707489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32118121.post-87604973941099219082009-06-02T10:35:46.251+03:002009-06-02T10:35:46.251+03:00B"H
You still have one EGGED bus line going to Ne...B"H<br /><br />You still have one EGGED bus line going to Netanya: No. 641 via Petach Tikvah.<br /><br />I didn't see a difference in using Nativ when I went to Netanya during Pessach but was happy about the cheap bus fare.:-)Miriam Woelkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627379693165339825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32118121.post-73052459418627973392009-06-01T22:36:48.747+03:002009-06-01T22:36:48.747+03:00NG, your essentially right about the regional mono...NG, your essentially right about the regional monopolies. However, the companies compete for tenders and contracts for those regions. For whatever reason Egged did not receive the Beth Shemesh tender this year, nor has it covered service to Modi'in. I think Margolit{?} has that service. So, there is some incentive to provide service and good prices because next time you may lose out, if enough people complain.<br /><br />Why Netiv is running parts of the Sharon and parts of the Gallil, I don't know.<br /><br />Is there wheeling and dealing going on behind the scenes? I don't know.<br /><br />But there is more "competition" than if there was only one bus company.<br /><br />Progress?<br /><br />LB, No, HOT is better, I have heard, or at least more convenient, and provides package deals.Esser Agarothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12853681733864707489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32118121.post-54616725618313321762009-06-01T21:48:07.122+03:002009-06-01T21:48:07.122+03:00NG is right about it not being competition in this...NG is right about it not being competition in this manner. One example where there is a modicum of competition is the Tel Aviv - Be'er Sheva lines. Metropoline competes with Egged there, and I much prefer them. The tickets are approximately 40% cheaper and the buses are newer. Everything else is about the same, but such a stark difference in prices is a big deal.<br /><br />Back to the first point though, there would be some element of competition if every year or so companies control of routes were up for review, with customer input taken into consideration. That way companies would fear to lose their mini-monopolies to competitors.<br /><br />Not quite free market, but better than Egged in control of everything, charging exorbitant prices and giving very inadequate service.<br /><br />By the way, HOT is that much worse than Bezeq - across the board?LBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03246649908259127942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32118121.post-10362498999236978972009-06-01T17:04:51.088+03:002009-06-01T17:04:51.088+03:00Funny you should mention Nativ Express. I also had...Funny you should mention Nativ Express. I also hadn't heard of them until last week, when I needed to take one of their buses to a job interview. The company is located in a small town called Tzoran, which is next to Kadima in the Sharon. It's extremely difficult to reach by public transport - far difficult than most places in Yesha, where at least there is decent tremping. Nativ Express only reaches Tzoran twice a day, with buses leaving from the Beit Yehoshua train station at 9:10 am and 2:10 pm (of course, when I initially called to request this information, they gave me three different and mutually incompatible answers). The bus was new, but it was <EM>extremely</EM> bumpy, and since the road was in fine condition, it must have been caused by something on the bus itself (too much air in the tires, maybe, but I don't know anything about automobiles). <br /><br />To your point about competition - no, dividing up Egged's and Dan's routes by region and giving some regions to other companies is <EM>not</EM> competition. It is just a series of smaller monopolies. I've taken a lot of bus rides on Kavim, which is another regional Dan spinoff, and I can say with full confidence that it's exactly like Dan in every way, except its routes are not listed on Dan's website. The mobile phone service market is competitive, though, and I know that I have had good customer service from Orange. A while ago, an Orange rep called me just to see if everything was all right, and spent a half hour on the line with me, explaining all sorts of things about my bill, answering various questions, and helping me to analyze whether it would make sense to switch to a different plan. I'd never gotten service like that in Israel before. <EM>Never.</EM>As far as telecommunications (Hot vs. Bezek, etc) I have had a terrible experience trying to deal with both companies, and right now I'm in danger of Hot cutting off my internet because of a billing dispute (in brief, I agreed to pay them a certain amount, they tried to charge me double, and I disputed the charges with Visa). I have yet to encounter anyone who's dealt with Hot and been a happy customer.NGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10218432542462284721noreply@blogger.com