Business in Brief

Disabled drivers and motorcyclists will be exempt from tolls on the new "fast lane" into Tel Aviv on Route 1. The Knesset Economic Affairs Committee approved the fee waiver in coordination with Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz. But the treasury opposed the decision, saying motorcycles would fill up the new lane and slow down traffic. It would also raise the cost for paying drivers, since the fee will be based on congestion levels. Motorcyclists put quite a lot of pressure on MKs to gain the exemption, especially after 2,000 motorcyclists recently signed up as Likud Party members - after their failed battle against higher insurance rates on motorcycles. (Zvi Zrahiya)

The Movement for Quality Government is demanding that the Ministerial Committee on Legislation regulate ministers' spending while abroad, after the committee voted on Sunday to oppose a law requiring such supervision. The proposed law would have given the finance minister, with cabinet approval, the authority to enact regulations to supervise spending overseas, including spending limits. The proper-governance watchdog movement said the bill is intended to fill the moral vacuum regarding ministers' use of public funds for their trips. (Zvi Zrahiya)

Three months after taking the job as chief executive of Fox, Eli Keidar, 60, an industry veteran, has quit. Sources in the know say his relations with the clothing group's controlling shareholder Harel Wizel foundered after a strategic plan Keidar put together was rejected. But all along there had been doubts inside the group as to how long Keidar, or any CEO who wasn't Wizel himself, would last. Wizel, who had served as acting CEO before Keidar's appointment, likes to be in control, they say. (Adi Dovrat-Meseritz)

Hotels all over the country are trying to recruit 1,500 new workers for the Passover holiday, in addition to the existing 30,500 hospitality employees. Eilat hotels are having a particularly difficult time finding new recruits even though they pay an average of NIS 6,750 a month. They need waiters, security guards, cooks, lifeguards and more - for now and the summer too. (Irit Rosenblum)

Two cellular users motioned the Tel Aviv District Court to approve an NIS 4.2 billion class action suit against Cellcom and Pelephone for failing to insure themselves against claims arising from radiation damage to their customers. "Their license requires them to [insure themselves] and they are knowingly violating that, and admit they are not insured," argues Yohi Geva, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs. She claims numerous studies link bodily harm and non-ionizing radiation from the phones and from cellular antennas, and the companies will be exposed to huge damage suits in the future. The sum involved is the plaintiffs' estimate of what would have been the costs of the insurance for the past seven years. They also demand the companies take out such insurance in the future. Cellcom said it can't estimate the chances of losing the case. (Lior Zeno)

Israel Post will apply next week for a license to operate as an MVNO, which is geekese for mobile virtual network operator. And that in turn means that it would provide mobile phone service without having to pay for an actual network. It could, in other words, compete with Israel's three incumbent cellular giants, Pelephone, Partner Communications and Cellcom, without building any antennas: It would get to use their infrastructure. If it wins the blessing of the Communications Ministry, Israel Post, which is a government company, would become Israel's first MVNO. Last week the postal CEO, Avi Hochman, met with Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon to announce his intentions. (Amitai Ziv)