NTA will establish dedicated metro offices in ten Gush Dan municipalities: Or Yehuda, Bnei Brak, Bat Yam, Givat Shmuel, Givatayim, Holon, Petah Tikva, Kiryat Ono, Rishon LeZion and Ramat Gan.
The offices will act as NTA's professional arms inside the city halls, bringing together the engineering, operations, traffic and supervision functions needed to manage the works. Mayors will select the staff, subject to NTA approval.
The Transport Ministry will fund the move with NIS 40 million over five years. It is in line with the ministry's policy of delegating authority to local government, and aims to shorten approval processes and improve coordination with residents as works spread across the metropolis.
The metro, with an estimated total cost of about NIS 180 billion, will cross 24 local authorities, so close cooperation with the cities is seen as one of the key conditions for its success.