Israeli officials are testing four buses with blast-proof windows, special doors and other features designed to protect passengers from suicide bombers.
The buses are equipped with a turnstile that allows the driver to inspect passengers as they get on and a back door designed for exit only.
The buses also have crowd-control equipment for emergencies, said Ronit Eckstein, a spokeswoman for Israel Military Industries, the contractor that developed them. Further details are being kept secret for security reasons, she said.
Ora Saloman, a spokeswoman for the Transport Ministry, said trial runs of the buses began Sunday in Jerusalem and are to last for six weeks.
Between 2001 and 2004, suicide bombers blew up 21 buses in Israel, killing 208 people. The last bus bombing was in August 2004.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
