Residents of Gad Street in Beit Shemesh have sent an urgent letter to Mayor Shmuel Greenberg and senior municipal officials, asking the city to place a “No Driving Lessons” sign at the entrance to their street. The letter was signed by 66 residents and households - nearly everyone living on the street.

According to the residents, Gad Street is a short dead-end street where many families with young children live. In recent months, they say, it has become a major meeting point for driving instructors and their students, replacing nearby Herzog Street as a place for driving lessons.

Residents report that the situation became much worse over the past week, as more driving instructors began using the street. In their own monitoring, they counted an average of 8-10 learner cars at any given time along the street, which is only about 100 meters long. Dozens of students and instructors are also said to be waiting outside residents’ homes.

Concerns About Children's Safety and Quality of Life

The letter describes concerns about children's safety. Residents say parents have stopped allowing their children to play on the street because of the increased traffic.

They also report that learner cars take up all available parking spaces and sometimes block private driveways. Cigarette butts and litter are left behind, while noise and groups of people gathering outside homes have become an additional concern.

According to the residents, repeated attempts to resolve the issue by speaking directly with the driving instructors have not helped.

“We Are Asking the City to Act Before Someone Gets Hurt”

Gad Street resident Dani Wassner said: “This is a short, quiet street where children have always played safely. A single sign at the entrance is a simple, inexpensive fix that already exists on other streets around the country. We’re asking the city to act before someone gets hurt.”

The residents are now waiting for the municipality’s response to their request.

The letter sent to the municipality is attached.