- September 19, 2026
- 2:05 pm
- Israel
It all started quite ordinarily. On Facebook, we came across a post with photos of a bus in Israel: a large tourist Mercedes, blue-yellow coloring, and right above the windshield — the Ukrainian trident. On the side — the name Polly Tour / פולי תור.
Author: Editorial Staff of NANews
The author of the photo wrote in Ukrainian: “Ось такі в Ізраїлі є автобуси! Дякую Тобі Боже за Твій народ” (These are the buses in Israel! Thank You God for Your people). We paused at the photo, then opened the carrier’s page, the official website, old Facebook posts — and as a result, instead of one beautiful photo, we got quite an interesting story of an Israeli company that seems to have something to offer to enterprises, event organizers, and tourist groups.
Let’s immediately say why we decided to talk about Polly Tour not only because of the trident. The company turned out to have a serious set of charter transportation: regular routes for organizations, employee transportation, buses for conferences and corporate days, tourist groups, weddings, excursions, Ben-Gurion, vehicles for passengers with limited mobility. This is no longer a story about a symbol on a bus, but about a service that many in Israel really need.
The section for the Israeli reader should be made deeper — so that the reader understands that the buses of Polly Tour do not just have “Ukrainian colors,” but symbols with a history long before the emergence of modern independent Ukraine in 1991.
Blue, yellow, and trident: what the symbols on Polly Tour buses mean
Polly Tour buses are noticeable from afar: the fleet’s design features a lot of blue and yellow, and on some vehicles, a golden trident is placed above the windshield. Today, such a combination is almost unequivocally associated with Ukraine, but both the colors and the sign itself appeared in Ukrainian symbolism long before the proclamation of modern Ukraine’s independence in 1991.
The most common modern explanation of the flag’s colors is very simple: blue — sky, yellow — wheat field. This is how the combination is often perceived today. However, this is more of a popular symbolic interpretation rather than a meaning enshrined by law. The resolution of the Verkhovna Rada, which approved the modern state flag, defines the colors and proportions of the canvas but does not establish the official interpretation of “sky and wheat.”
The blue and yellow themselves appeared in the symbolism of the lands of modern Ukraine much earlier. The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory points to the combination of a blue background and golden or yellow images even in medieval heraldry. For example, the golden lion on a blue field is associated with the Galician principality. Later, especially in the 17th–18th centuries, Cossack regimental and company banners featured blue canvases with yellow or golden crosses, stars, weapons, and images of saints.
But it was precisely as Ukrainian national colors that the blue-yellow combination was established much later — during the European “Spring of Nations” in 1848. In June of that year, such a flag was raised over the town hall of Lviv. After that, blue-yellow banners were increasingly used by Ukrainian organizations and participants in national events in Galicia, Bukovina, and Transcarpathia. In the territories of the Russian Empire, their open use spread after the revolution of 1905–1907.
In 1917, the blue-yellow flag was already widely used by the Ukrainian movement. Under such banners, thousands of Ukrainian demonstrations took place in Kyiv and Petrograd, and in the summer of 1917, the Ukrainian regiment named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky went to the front under the blue-yellow flag. Ukrainian flags began to be raised on individual ships of the Black Sea Fleet.
During the period of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, the colors turned from a national sign into an element of state symbolism. In January 1918, the blue-yellow canvas was enshrined in the legislation of the UPR on the fleet. In the documents of the Ukrainian authorities of 1918, the order familiar to us today was used: blue or light blue stripe on top, yellow on the bottom. The blue-yellow symbolism was preserved under the Ukrainian State of Hetman Pavlo Skoropadsky, used by the Directorate of the UPR, and in November 1918, the blue-yellow flag was declared the state flag of the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic.
After the establishment of Soviet power, this symbolism was no longer the state flag of the Ukrainian SSR, and in the USSR, its public use was prosecuted. The blue-yellow flag continued to exist in Ukrainian emigration and various movements associated with the idea of Ukrainian independence. At the end of the Soviet period, it began to appear publicly again. After the proclamation of Ukraine’s independence, the Verkhovna Rada on January 28, 1992 officially approved the state flag as a canvas of two equal horizontal stripes: blue on top and yellow on the bottom.
The history of the trident is even older.
What is today called the trident originates from the princely signs of the Rurik dynasty during the times of Rus. The sign of Prince Volodymyr the Great, who ruled Kyiv at the end of the 10th — beginning of the 11th century, is especially well-known. Similar signs were found on princely coins and other items of that period. At the same time, historians do not have a single indisputable answer to what this sign originally depicted: there are several interpretations of its form and origin. Therefore, it is more correct to speak not of a proven ancient meaning of the word “trident,” but of a princely sign that much later received this name and modern state significance.
It was returned to during the Ukrainian revolution of the early 20th century. Already on January 6, 1918, Volodymyr’s sign appeared on the first UPR banknote with a denomination of 100 karbovanets, created by artist Heorhiy Narbut. And on February 25, 1918, the Small Rada officially approved the “sign of the Kyiv State from the times of Volodymyr the Saint” as the coat of arms of the Ukrainian People’s Republic. On March 22, the large and small coat of arms of the UPR, developed by Vasyl Krychevsky, were approved.
The choice was not accidental. The leaders of the UPR thus emphasized the historical continuity of the new Ukrainian statehood from medieval Rus. The trident was used on state seals, documents, money, and other official attributes. Under Hetman Skoropadsky, it also did not disappear from state heraldry, and after the loss of Ukrainian statehood, it continued to be used by the UPR government in emigration.
After the restoration of independence, modern Ukraine returned both historical symbols. On January 28, 1992, the blue-yellow state flag was officially approved, and on February 19, 1992, the Verkhovna Rada approved the golden trident on a blue shield as the small State Emblem of Ukraine and the main element of the future large state emblem.
Therefore, the design of Polly Tour buses looks especially characteristic. Here, two recognizable Ukrainian symbols are simultaneously present: the combination of blue and yellow, which has centuries-old heraldic roots and became national in the 19th century, and the trident, which dates back to the princely signs of Kievan Rus and was officially used by Ukrainian statehood as early as 1918.
Polly Tour has not been operating since yesterday: what we managed to verify
On its official website, Polly Tour writes that it has been operating in Israel for over 20 years and serves private clients, businesses, and institutions. The company is primarily based in the center of the country but carries out transportation throughout Israel.
We went to check the history ourselves.
The oldest post on the official Facebook page that we managed to find is dated November 5, 2014. Even then, Polly Tour offered transportation throughout the country on new buses. In June 2015, a large blue-yellow bus appeared on the page, and then such vehicles were regularly visible in photos from 2016, 2017, and 2018.
And on December 9, 2016, on one of the buses published by the company, the Ukrainian trident was already clearly visible above the windshield. In the same publication, Alex Polykov was noted. Later in Polly Tour’s history, Kosta Polykov appears: in 2022, he posted an announcement on behalf of the carrier about looking for a driver.
We also found an even more illustrative photo. On the side of one of Polly Tour’s buses, two contact names and numbers are directly applied:
Kosta — 052-……..
Alex — 053-……..
Next to it is the name Polly Tour / פולי תור. In the old publications of the page, we also see Alex Polykov and Kosta Polykov, so their direct connection with the carrier’s work is almost beyond doubt.
There is also an interesting detail here that is hard not to notice: Polykov is a surname, and the company is called Polly Tour. We did not ask the carrier’s representatives whether the name Polly Tour is indeed derived from the surname Polykov, and therefore we cannot assert this as an established fact. But the similarity of the name with the surname of people who have been associated with the company for many years looks obvious enough to draw attention to it.
Who exactly among them is or was the owner of the business, it would also be incorrect to establish based on some Facebook posts and inscriptions on the bus. But we can say something else with certainty: Kosta and Alex were not random people next to Polly Tour, but its long-term contact persons — their names and phone numbers were directly applied to the company’s buses.
At the same time, the current legal entity פולי תור בע”מ / Polly Tour Ltd., №516448453 was registered on August 11, 2021, and has the status of an active private Israeli company. The legal address in the registry data is Beit Aryeh.
There is no contradiction here. An Israeli business can well operate for many years in one organizational form and then register a new LLC. But that’s why we separate two statements: Polly Tour itself talks about more than 20 years of experience; the independently traceable public history of the company is confirmed at least since 2014.
And even these twelve years of continuous public history for a small private carrier are already not a page opened yesterday with three photos.
What exactly can be ordered from Polly Tour
Here it becomes practical for organizations.
On the Polly Tour website, there is a separate direction for regular transportation of employees and organizations. The company offers both permanent routes and one-time trips, and on the page of regular transportation, enterprises, schools, and day centers are separately listed. You can agree on the schedule, route, and boarding points for a specific organization.
For businesses, there are transportation services for corporate events, leisure days and team building, seminars, training, and conferences. That is, you don’t have to gather employees in twenty cars, worry about parking, and who will drive back after the event. The company itself offers to build a route with several collection points and adjust the schedule to the event program.
There is a separate service for bus rental with a driver — from a one-day trip to long-term support of an organized group. According to Polly Tour’s description, this includes vehicle selection, driver, route planning, and trip logistics. This format is suitable for companies, educational institutions, excursion organizers, conferences, and group outings.
Another large direction is tourism and excursions. Polly Tour works with tourist groups, organized groups, and delegations, including when a bus is needed for several consecutive days. On the tourist transportation page, the company separately mentions inbound tourism and group support throughout Israel.
There are excursion trips and one-day tours: collection points, stops, and places to visit are determined in advance. For a group, several boarding points can be made and then passengers can be taken back.
Separately declared are transfers to Ben-Gurion Airport for families and groups. For a large team, this is sometimes simply more convenient than ordering a dozen taxis, especially when there are suitcases and several collection points. The company refers to this service as one of its main directions.
There are transportation services for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, family celebrations, and corporate events. For a wedding, for example, the site allows you to set a route there and back, several boarding points, return time, and intermediate stops.
And this is the case when the Israeli specifics are understandable without long explanations: a wedding somewhere out of town, relatives coming from Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion, and Petah Tikva, parking is unknown where, then still have to drive back at night. One properly organized bus sometimes solves half the headache.
From 19 to 60 passengers — and a separate accessible bus
According to Polly Tour, the fleet includes minibuses for up to 19 passengers, buses for about 55 people, and a large bus for up to 60 passengers. The company also declares a specialized accessible bus with places for up to ten wheelchairs in addition to regular seats.
For organizations, this is not a trifle. When the team consists of 45 people, there is no point in paying for two random vehicles. When 15–18 people are traveling, a large bus, on the contrary, may be excessive. And if there is a passenger in a wheelchair in the group, the availability of truly adapted transport becomes one of the first questions when choosing a carrier.
The company writes that its buses undergo regular maintenance, and some pages separately indicate transport control by a קצין בטיחות בתעבורה — transport safety officer/specialist, a position provided for by the Israeli system of supervision over commercial fleets.
For Israelis: this is not Egged and not a city bus
Here is a small point that may not be obvious to the reader.
Polly Tour is not a public transport operator. It does not have a city route where you come with a Rav-Kav and board at the nearest stop. This is a charter carrier: an enterprise, family, school, tourist group, conference or excursion organizer pre-arranges a vehicle, time, route, and number of passengers.
The company’s main market is the center of Israel, but Polly Tour itself declares transportation throughout the country. The site has separate pages for Tel Aviv, Holon, Rishon LeZion, Lod, Petah Tikva, Shoham, Hadera, and other directions.
Therefore, an organization’s request can look very different: picking up employees from several cities every day and bringing them to the enterprise; taking the entire office to the north for a יום גיבוש; meeting a foreign delegation at Ben-Gurion; organizing a bus for a conference; picking up guests from the train station and returning them after a wedding.
That’s what Polly Tour is tailored for.
And what about the Ukrainian trident?
We still return to it because that’s where this story began.
Polly Tour’s blue-yellow buses appeared at least in 2015. By December 2016, one of the vehicles already had the Ukrainian trident. In modern photos on the official website, this sign is visible on several buses.
Why the owners chose the Ukrainian emblem, the company itself does not explain on the pages available to us. Therefore, we will not invent a family biography or declare its origin.
But the fact remains: the Israeli carrier has been using the Ukrainian trident on its fleet for many years.
For NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency, this fits well into the part of Israeli life that we constantly talk about. Ukraine exists here not only in big politics: there is a Ukrainian Cultural Center in Tel Aviv, events, communities, businesses, and thousands of ordinary human connections.
Why it makes sense for organizations to at least request a proposal
We will not write that we personally tested every Polly Tour vehicle or conducted a control trip — that did not happen. Therefore, evaluating the company with the words “the best in Israel” would be advertising noise.
But adding Polly Tour to the list of carriers from whom to request a proposal, we can recommend quite specifically.
The business has a long-standing public trail, a visible fleet, vehicles of different capacities, transport for passengers in wheelchairs, regular transportation for organizations, tourist and event routes, and the ability to work not only with a one-time order but also with the permanent logistics of an enterprise. This set is what matters to someone who is really responsible for transporting twenty, fifty, or a hundred people, not choosing a bus based on a beautiful photo.
For the company, we would immediately pass on to Polly Tour the number of passengers, cities and boarding points, date, departure and return time, the need for several stops, luggage volume, and accessibility requirements when requesting. Then the carrier will be able to select a vehicle and calculate a proposal without endless message exchanges.
Currently, the official website lists the office at HaYotzrim 6, Or Yehuda, phone 073-8022252, e-mail Pollytour1@gmail.com. Office hours: Sunday–Thursday 07:30–19:30, Friday and pre-holiday days 07:30–15:00.
You can submit a request directly through the company’s website: there is a form with departure and destination points, dates, time, number of passengers, and additional stops.
Official Polly Tour website — request transportation
Official page – https://www.facebook.com/pollytour1/
And we started with just a photo of a bus on Facebook. Then it turned out that behind the blue-yellow vehicle with the trident is a carrier with a large fleet and quite a wide range of services.
So if your company, organization, tourist group, or event organizers need a bus in Israel — Polly Tour is at least worth adding to the list of those to call and request a quote. And let the Ukrainian trident above the windshield remain a pleasant bonus to this story.