4-day transport struggle in Istanbul sparks mayor criticism
Istanbul residents are grappling with transportation issues, with buses, trams and metrobus breakdowns causing disruptions and inconveniences, all in just 4 days
Metropolitan Municipality’s (İBB) Public Transportation Service (İETT) has come under heavy criticism from the city’s residents due to numerous transportation issues between April 16 and 19. From bus breakdowns to tramway line problems, these issues affecting daily life continue to corner the municipality’s transportation management. Ekrem Imamoğlu, a member of the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), who was recently re-elected as the mayor in the local elections, finds himself in the midst of these criticisms. Istanbulites say they expect urgent solutions from the administration, otherwise, getting from one place to another by public transportation has become extremely difficult in this city, one of the world’s largest metropolises.
One of the strangest transportation issues in recent times occurred in the Yenikapı district. An İETT bus in motion collided with a pedestrian overpass. Fortunately, there were no passengers on the trapped bus on the overpass, which could have prevented a potential disaster, but the moment was captured on the cellphone camera of a bystander. In the footage, smoke was seen rising from the trapped bus.
Another accident occurred in the Fatih district, where a passenger was injured when one İETT bus rear-ended another at a bus stop. An İETT bus waiting at the stop in the direction of Aksaray on Adnan Menderes Boulevard was hit from behind by another İETT bus. Fire, health and police teams were dispatched to the scene upon notification. A passenger who was slightly injured was taken to hospital by ambulance. The damaged buses were removed from the road after the teams’ work.
One issue occurred at the entrance of the July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge. When a metrobus operated by İBB on the SöğütlüçeşmeAvcılar route broke down at the entrance to the bridge, passengers were transferred to another metrobus. As a result, various indirect and direct disruptions occurred on the metrobus route.
The Kabataş-Bağcılar Tram Line is another line where transportation issues have occurred. In an announcement shared on Metro Istanbul’s social media account, it was reported that due to a technical malfunction on the tram line, services were being operated between Kabataş-Yusufpaşa and ÇapaBağcılar stations. Meanwhile, due to the tram not serving at the Haseki and Fındıkzade stops, there was a density of passengers at the stops. After getting off at Yusufpaşa and Çapa stops, passengers tried to reach their destinations by walking along the tram route.
Hasan Şahin, one of the passengers, said that the teams intervened in the crack on the rails and said, “I have been walking since Çapa. I have been walking for 15-20 minutes. I already have asthma. I am also elderly.” Another passenger stated that he walked from Çapa to Yusufpaşa and rushed to work, expressing his reaction to the situation.
Metro Istanbul announced approximately 50 minutes after the breakdown that free services were provided between Çapa-Yusufpaşa stations by İETT buses where services could not be operated. It was noted that the services that could not be operated at some stations of the line returned to normal after approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.
İBB INVENTORY
Muhammet Kaynar, a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Council Member and member of the Law Commission in the İBB, listed criticisms in a comprehensive report prepared about the municipality’s transportation inventory. Kaynar said in his speech, “They have purchased 344 buses for transportation, but 264 buses have been removed from İETT’s inventory due to burning and scrapping. Calculate the balance left after subtracting 264 from 344 buses. In these conditions, the fleet is aging; calculate the fate İETT will reach.”
Speaking at the second session of the İBB Assembly in April, Kaynar claimed that the rates of deductions in purchases were low due to insufficient competition in tenders for public transportation vehicles.
Kaynar also mentioned bus maintenance tenders, saying: “The firms that offer lower bids than the firm that won the tender in İETT sometimes forget their temporary guarantee letters or are found insufficient after participating in the tender and are eliminated. Thus, the tender is given to a certain firm, even if there are other firms that have offered lower bids, and the name of that firm has become memorized by the public.”
“Between 2013 and 2017, 2,250 buses were purchased, with an average of 275 buses per year, while a total of 344 buses were purchased between 2019 and 2023. This corresponds to 86 buses per year. They have purchased 344 buses for transportation, but 264 buses have been removed from İETT’s inventory by burning and scrapping. Calculate the balance left after subtracting 264 from 344 buses. In these conditions, the fleet is aging, calculate the fate İETT will reach.”
Kaynar shared data on faults in wheeled vehicles, saying: “In the period between 2019 and 2023, 823,915 fault records were created. You say that citizens are very satisfied with wheeled public transportation vehicles, right? In 2023, a total of 756,013 complaints were received. The number of complaints sent to İETT’s system by citizens is 756,013. In fact, the tables, all the data, reveal everything, but of course, very different things can be said here.”