Approved by UKOME: 2,500 New Taxis for Istanbul

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s (IMM) proposal to add 2,500 new taxis to the city was approved during a meeting of the Istanbul Transportation Coordination Center (UKOME). According to official data, Istanbul, a city with a population of approximately 16 million, currently has 18,395 taxis. The shortage of taxis in the city has been a long-standing issue.

This shortage, combined with drivers who refuse certain routes or seek to exploit tourists, has exacerbated the frustration of Istanbul residents. IMM had previously made various proposals to address the issue, but these had been blocked by UKOME.

UKOME ACCEPTS PROPOSAL FOR 2,500 NEW TAXIS

During the latest meeting, UKOME accepted IMM’s proposal for 2,500 new taxis. These new taxis will not have roof lights and will only be able to pick up passengers through an application and designated taxi stands integrated with this system. The taxis will be driven by drivers certified by the Transportation Academy, and they will also be equipped with safety partitions.

The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, announced yesterday that the ministry would approve the proposal. IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu, expressing gratitude to the supporters of the proposal, stated on his X (formerly Twitter) account, “Congratulations to Istanbul on the addition of 2,500 new taxis. With the Application-Based Taxi System, we are transitioning to a modern, safe, accessible, controllable, transparent, and technological taxi system.”

Objection from Eyüp Aksu: There Should Be Roof Lights, No Mandatory Application

During the meeting, Eyüp Aksu, President of the Istanbul Taxi Drivers’ Chamber, and a representative of the Turkish Drivers and Automobile Federation, argued that the use of the application should not be mandatory and that taxis should have roof lights.