Number of complaints about “Taxi Drivers in Istanbul” breaks record

Taxi services, one of the biggest problems of Istanbul, have recently come up with an increasing number of complaints. In the first half of 2023, the most common reason for the complaints against 33 thousand 878 taxi drivers registered by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) was the taxi drivers’ “road and passenger selection” conduct. This action means that taxi drivers prefer to serve certain routes or passengers. Here are the issues that have caused Taxi Drivers in Istanbul to break the complaint record.

Complaints against taxi drivers are received through IMM’s 153 Notification Line and evaluated by IMM’s Public Transportation Services Directorate (TUDES). Taxi drivers who are found responsible are subject to various sanctions.

HIGHEST NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS: CHOOSING ROUTE AND PASSENGERS

It is known that 18 thousand 773 taxis in Istanbul have 45 thousand 786 registered drivers. However, the city’s taxi services have come up with various problems, especially recently. Other common complaint issues such as ”violation of traffic Decrees“, ”rude behavior“ and ”overcharging” are among the problems faced by Istanbulites.

Istanbul’s Taxi Problem Is Increasing: A Peak in Complaints about Road and Passenger Selection

In addition, the recent announcement about the introduction of a thousand 803 new taxis with special qualifications have raised doubts about whether there will be a solution to the problem. It is still unclear whether the current problems in taxi services in Istanbul will be solved with the introduction of these new taxis into service.

The highest number of complaints in the first six months of this year, were received in May and June. All these data reveal that taxi services in Istanbul are in need of a significant review and regulation.

The complaint figures for this year are as follows:

NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR THE YEAR 2023: TOTAL 33,878

Some of the reasons for complaints were as follows: Road and passenger selection 18.079, Traffic rule violation 3.644, Being overcharged 3.026, Rude treatment of the passenger 3.415, To take the passenger by the longer route 1.386, Not accepting passengers for short distance 1.290, Failure to turn on the taximeter 712, Assault and harassment 652, Fraud 283  etc.