Istanbul municipality demands hike in public transportation fees, ministry finds proposed rate high

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) has demanded a 57% increase in public transportation fees which the Transportation Ministry has found very high. The rate will be determined at the upcoming meeting of the municipality’s Transportation Coordination Center (UKOME).

Saturday July 22 2023 02:26 pm

Duvar English

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s Transportation Coordination Center (UKOME) will hold a meeting to determine the price hikes in public transportation fees amid soaring fuel prices.

Prior to this meeting, the municipality notified Transportation Ministry representatives that it demands a 57% increase in transportation fees, including taxi fares. The ministry found the proposal too high, according to reporting by Halk TV.

The municipality demands that the new fares are determined as 15.5 TL for the full ticket instead of the prior 9.90 TL and 7.5 TL for a student ticket instead of the current 4.83 TL.

Also, the fee of a monthly pass wants to be increased from 777 TL to 1,219 TL for regular commuters, whereas from 140 TL to 219 TL for students.

The rate of 57% increase also wants to be applied to taxi fares, which the head of the taxi owners' association Eyüp Aksu found too low. He said that taxi drivers are unable to give service at the current rates and demanded a 100% hike.

If the proposal of 57% is not accepted at the upcoming UKOME meeting, the transportation watchdog will hold an extraordinary meeting to determine the new rate.