Digital crisis in the bus industry! Competition investigation into obilet

Bus companies operating in the passenger transport sector are reacting against the digital ticket sales platform Obilet due to its high commission rates and the trend toward monopolization in the industry. The companies claim that the platform has removed certain firms from the system, created an environment of unfair competition in the sector, and that this situation indirectly victimizes passengers as well.

Speaking to the microphones of the Ihlas News Agency and Demirören News Agency the other day, Turkish Bus Operators Federation (TOFED) President Birol Özcan said, "Those who sell tickets online should keep commission rates fixed; when 8 percent is taken from one company and 10, 12, or 13 percent from another, passenger costs increase. We do not just sell tickets online. Companies pay rent, insurance, and salaries. Online sales systems are unfortunately hurting us. These applications should not charge commissions up to 12 or 13 percent to reduce passenger costs. Now they are saying in the bus terminals, 'Let's not let those who buy tickets from online platforms into the terminal.' This is also wrong, but it needs to be regulated by the Competition Authority. Can the same company take a 13 percent commission from one firm and 8 percent from another? This needs to be considered. There is also the issue of holding funds. They hold the ticket money collected via POS machines in banks for 15-20 days and make payments after 15-20 days. These are very wrong things; we have stated this many times. We had reported this to the Competition Authority 3 years ago. We had filed a lawsuit but withdrew it, but now we have reached such a position. As a federation, we represent 360 companies. The Competition Authority and Ankara need to take action; it needs to be brought under control. There is no such system. Take 8 percent commission from one, 10 percent from another, 13 percent from another, and keep the price high; what is this? Nothing is left for the bus company. To fix this, we must definitely meet, and the Competition Authority must intervene in this matter. All companies must support each other. If an online platform is oppressing company ABC, other companies must support that firm and stand behind it." 

Birol Özcan / (TOFED) President of the Turkish Bus Operators Federation - Above


METRO TURIZM PUSHED OUT OF THE SYSTEM

On the other hand, Metro Turizm Chairman of the Board Lawyer Umut Kahraman also made a statement to Demirören and İhlas News Agencies and alleged that Metro Turizm had been pushed out of the digital sales system. 

Kahraman stated the following: 

"As you are aware, online sales platforms are platforms where tickets are sold online, and all companies offer their tickets for sale there. This relevant platform receives a certain commission from the companies in exchange for the tickets. However, disputes can arise from time to time between the companies and the company that owns the platform. These disputes have increased recently because it tried to increase the commission fees it receives for ticket sales. In this sense, it is not just bus companies that earn their bread from this sector; we have agencies in bus terminals and city centers operating in all 81 provinces of Turkey. These agencies employ personnel and contribute significantly to employment. Of course, there can be injustices in the sharing of these earnings. Finally, while we were continuing mutual negotiations regarding these, the relevant platform removed us from the platform on Thursday, July 31, without any objective criteria. This situation caused unfair and destructive competition, and we suffered serious economic damage. Because July and August are periods when the road transport sector reaches its peak, demand is very high, and supply increases accordingly. During such a period, our passengers could not reach our Metro Turizm tickets on the relevant online sales platform. We immediately took this process to the Competition Authority. We requested an injunction. We demanded that the practice of the platform, which caused this unfair and destructive competition, be terminated and that Metro Turizm be included in the platform again. The process is currently limited to this. Of course, this will have a serious economic burden on us. In fact, the weight of this platform in the sector has reached such a level that, despite being a 33-year-old company, we could even reach the point of stopping our services or even closing down. In this sense, the economic consequences of this will naturally be very heavy. At this point, we are urgently waiting for a decision from the Competition Authority regarding an injunction and subsequently the merits of the case. Being pushed out of the platform is clearly contrary to commercial law. They pushed us completely out of the platform. Currently, since our passengers cannot reach us, they prefer to buy tickets from our competitors. This has seriously affected our services and occupancy rates. There have been drops of nearly 40-45 percent. We know that complaints have been received by the federation, the umbrella organization of the sector, that the relevant platform also threatens to remove other companies that do not increase commissions from the platform. The economic dimension of Metro Turizm being removed from the platform without question has reached serious figures. It is known that this will cause damages that are difficult or impossible to compensate. At this point, we are looking for ways to return to the platform as soon as possible, even before the injunction decision is issued, while waiting for the injunction decision to be issued as soon as possible"... 

(Umut Kahraman / Lawyer and Chairman of the Board of Metro Turizm) - Above

ACQUIRED BY A FRENCH COMPANY

The online platform, which has been the target of criticism from Birol Özcan, President of the Turkish Bus Operators Federation (TOFED), and Metro Turizm, obilet, was founded as a Turkish startup but was later acquired for $550 million by the French company Comuto SA, the owner of BlaBlaCar. 

Obilet controls a significant portion of the digital bus ticket sales market in Turkey. Users can compare trips from different companies on the platform and purchase tickets using credit cards. However, bus companies state that the high commission rates applied by obilet are putting businesses in financial distress and that this structure has become unsustainable. 

Some companies claim that obilet has removed them from the system without providing any justification. While this situation means a serious loss of revenue for the companies in question, it also carries the risk of causing negative consequences for passengers, such as trip cancellations and disruptions in transportation. Industry representatives point out that even a few days of systemic disruption can upend the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Following these developments, the Competition AuthorityIt has been learned that the Competition Authority has launched a preliminary investigation into the company operating obilet following complaints from bus firms. It is stated that the authority is evaluating whether the platform is abusing its dominant position in the market.

On the other hand, allegations that obilet is neutralizing small and medium-sized digital competitors in the sector through acquisitions, thereby restricting competition, are also on the agenda. 

Another allegation that has surfaced regarding obilet, whose majority shares were reportedly acquired by the French travel giant BlaBlaCar's owner, Comuto SA, for $550 million in 2024, is the claim of software copying. 

It has been claimed that the application made unauthorized use of software developed by Turkish engineers and copied the code. The matter has been taken to court, and legal proceedings have been initiated. It was learned that an expert committee, accompanied by police, conducted an inspection at the company's headquarters yesterday.