They had blocked the IMM for years: AKP takes action for yellow taxis

The debates that began after the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) passed to the CHP's Ekrem İmamoğlu administration in 2019 have been ongoing for a long time. The government's efforts to block the decision to increase yellow taxis via UKOME have taken on a new dimension following the local elections.

IT WILL INCREASE BY 73 PERCENT

Most recently, it has been claimed that the government has decided to increase the number of taxis. According to information provided to Bloomberg by senior officials, the government plans to increase the number of taxis in Istanbul by 73 percent with a new legislative proposal.

The proposal envisions a special regulation for Istanbul, increasing the number of taxis so that there is at least one taxi for every 500 people.

According to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality data, there is currently one taxi for every 861 people in the city of approximately 16 million. According to IMM data, this figure is 272 in Mexico City, 378 in Paris, and 413 in London, all of which are highly populated cities.

MANDATORY MEMBERSHIP

During the first term of CHP's Ekrem İmamoğlu as mayor, the municipality's proposals did not pass the Municipal Council because the AKP and MHP held the majority. Following İmamoğlu's re-election and his securing of the Council majority, the government has also taken action.

According to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality data, there are 18,395 taxis in the city. With the new regulation, it is planned to increase the number of taxis to 31,815. According to officials, the timing of the increase will be determined at a later stage.

The legislative proposal will also introduce mandatory membership for mobile phone applications that have received operator licenses. In order to increase oversight of taxis, it is also being considered to issue taxi licenses for a period of 5 years, to be renewed under certain conditions.

According to IMM data, in 1990, there were 2.38 taxis per thousand people in Istanbul. While Istanbul's population in 1990 was 7 million 309 thousand 190, the population increased by 117 percent to 15.8 million in 2021. However, the number of taxis increased by only 5.7 percent during this period. The insufficiency in the number of taxis leads to an increase in complaints such as taxis picking and choosing customers.

İMAMOĞLU'S UKOME STATEMENT

Following the report in Bloomberg, IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu announced that important steps have been taken toward solving the taxi problem and that the new taxi system is close to being implemented.

In a statement on his social media account, he stated that as a result of the work carried out with all stakeholders, both the number of taxis will be increased and a new taxi system will be implemented.

HE POINTED TO TOMORROW

İmamoğlu expressed that they expect beneficial decisions to be made for all of Istanbul at the UKOME meeting to be held tomorrow.

İmamoğlu's post is as follows:

“We are taking an important step in solving the taxi problem in Istanbul. As a result of the work we have carried out with all stakeholders, we are close to both increasing the number of taxis and implementing the new taxi system. I hope that beneficial decisions for all of Istanbul will emerge at tomorrow's UKOME meeting.”

İstanbul’daki taksi sorununun çözümünde önemli bir adım atıyoruz. Tüm paydaşlarla birlikte yürüttüğümüz çalışmalar sonucunda hem taksi sayısını arttırmaya hem de yeni taksi sistemini hayata geçirmeye az kaldı. Yarınki UKOME toplantısında tüm İstanbul için hayırlı kararlar…

— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) August 28, 2024

News Source: 12punto