Izmir Metropolitan Municipality announced Wednesday an increased tax for public transportation as Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) and Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) reported an increase for public transportation pass.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality has decided to increase public 38% transport rates during the meeting of the transport monitoring body Transport Coordination Center (UKOME). In line with the decision taken by majority of votes, with completion of the approval process, the first baording price for public vehicleswhich is currently TL 4.7, will be TL 6.50 as of March 20th.
Moreover, the decision has been made to increase the public transport price according to the average of wholesale price (WPI) and the consumer price index (CPI) each month. Minibus fares in Izmir has also increased by 50% and hit TL 7.5 for minimum rates.
Meanwhile, the BWI is preparing to raise fees for son Istanbulkart, the city’s electronic public transport pass which covers all means of public transport – from buses and metros to ferries operating between the two sides of the Bosphorus – citing soaring fuel prices.
Chambers of Transport Trades publicthe general manager of Electricity, Istanbul Tram and Tunnel (IETT) and Istanbul Metro general manager would have been gathered in Istanbul Coastal District of Yenikapı for a meeting chaired by the BWI, where they decided to increase public transport fees from 50% to 65%.
UKOME will assess BWI’s request in a meeting in the next a few days and do the final decision.
The municipality had slapped increases in electronic pass fee, but it has also increased electronic public transport pass 111% fee in one year. BWI announced a 92% fee increase for certain types of passes in February and now bills almost 5.50 TL for trips in only one vehicle without connection to other means of public transportation, like metrobuses to shopping centerscity the trains. This also bill 11 TL for only one-use passparticularly appreciated by tourists and new arrivals at city.
Renewal fees passes for people who benefit from reduced rates, senior citizens to students, were also increased by 36.2% in December 2021. The “indirimli” (on sale) card renewal fee increased from 20 TL to 35 TL.
BELBIM, the company of the municipality which supplies the electronics mentioned above in a written statement that card production costs increased by about 35 TL, “along with the global flea crisis and fluctuations in foreign currency.”
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB), which increased public transport costs on January 5, had announced earlier in February increasing in costs have already pushed the municipality to cover one-the third of costs per passenger.
Noting that if a cost to augment of 182% in the past three years was reflected in the ticket price, the ABB had said that the full ticket would be TL 9.17, and the discount ticket would be TL 4.94 today. In addition, the ABB stated that the cost per passenger was 6.50 TL, while discount fares were 4.50 TL.
“We regret to express that in the midst of the current situation cost increases, we may need to readjust our ticket price”, had indicated the municipality in A declaration.
Since ABB’s statement, diesel prices have increased from 17 TL to 25 TL.
As of tonight, an increase of TL 2.25 for diesel and TL 0.79 for gasoline is also expected. After the price hikes, the average liter price of diesel should rise at nearly 25.10 TL in Istanbul and 25.20 TL in Ankara and Izmir, when it was around TL 12 in December 2021. The price of normal gasoline should rise at 21.10TL in Istanbul, TL 22.20 in Ankara and TL 22.30 in Izmir per liter.
In the middle of a global turmoil in energy price over the Russian invasion in Ukraine and related sanctions affecting oil and gas supply, Wednesday’s increase marks a rise in Fuel prices in Turkey for seven days in a row. Because of its energy dependence and its exchanges rate volatility, Turkey is even affected more by global prices.
