Turkish e-scooter firm Martı's CEO organize a ‘rally-like’ fest against taxi industry

Turkish e-scooter firm Martı’s CEO Oğuz Alper Öktem on June 19 organized a “rally-like” festival which turned into a show of strength with thousands of participants against taxi industry.

Tuesday June 20 2023 02:57 pm

Duvar English

Scooter-sharing platform Martı on June 19 organized a festival that turned into a demonstration against taxi industry attended by thousands of people.

At the festival celebrating the company's reach to 10 million users, CEO of the firm Oğuz Alper Öktem made a contreversial speech resembling a politician and said, "Some people who call themselves the taxi lobby should see this place. If you are the taxi lobby, we are the environmentalist transportation lobby!"

Siz taksi lobisiyseniz biz de çevreci ulaşım lobisiyiz. Siz 30 bin kişiyseniz biz milyonlarız… pic.twitter.com/0j0DlaHyCS
— Oğuz Alper Öktem (@OguzAlperOktem) June 19, 2023

Turkey’s Chamber of Taxi Drivers have been combatting against the increasing market share of the e-scooter and vehicle sharing platforms for a long time. In 2018, famous transportation conglomerate Uber had to leave the Turkish market after the increasing attacks against the customers and drivers from the taxi owners.

After the rise of the e-scooter apps, started by the innovation of Martı in Turkey in 2019, taxi drivers began to lobby against the online mobility platforms as well. After Martı launched its new urban ride-sharing system TAG, the firm’s CEO Öktem in 2022 announced that President of the Chamber of Taxi Drivers threatened him. The chamber also filed a criminal complaint against the system because it deemed as “illegal taxicab.” Afterward, Martı's car and motorcycle sharing apps were temporarily blocked in March.

After the long-lasting polemical debate between two figure, Martı launched a social media campaign and started to share customer calls to the firm’s call center after being attacked by taxi drivers.

On the other hand, citizens have been complaining about the unplanned parking system of the e-scooter firms which usually blocks pedestrian paths. Istanbul's Kadıköy Municipality in January 2023 removed all e-scooters from the pavements.