As the bill for the build-operate-transfer model continues to weigh on the Treasury, the toll fees for the Osmangazi Bridge have also increased.
According to a report by Havva Gümüşkaya from BirGün, a fee of 35 dollars + 8 percent VAT per vehicle was set when the Osmangazi Bridge first opened.
Since it is indexed to US inflation, the bridge toll has reached 51 dollars over time. With the rise in the dollar exchange rate, the toll fee has climbed to 1,632 TL. However, while 290 TL is collected per vehicle, the remaining 1,342 TL is paid to the company by the Treasury.
12 BILLION 50 MILLION LIRA PAID IN 2023
Even if the guaranteed number of vehicles is reached, money continues to be transferred from the Treasury to the companies. Despite the government's claims that "we have reached the daily guarantee of 40 thousand vehicles," 12 billion 50 million TL was paid to the company from the Treasury for the Osmangazi Bridge in 2023.
HOW MUCH WILL BE PAID IN 2024?
CHP Erzincan Deputy Mustafa Sarıgül addressed the issue, stating that the budget allocated by the government to these projects—which claims there is "no source, no budget for retirees"—has reached massive proportions, and that 2024 is "not the year of the retiree, but the year of the guarantee." Sarıgül also added, "Over 24 billion liras will be paid for the Osmangazi and Çanakkale Bridges in 2024."
TOTAL TREASURY BURDEN NEARLY 74 BILLION
It is projected that a total of 73 billion 830 million liras will be paid from the 2024 budget to the companies that built the bridges and highways granted with passage guarantees under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.
News Source: 12punto
