Mansur Yavaş makes statement on traffic problem

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş made statements addressing traffic congestion in Ankara. Yavaş stated that one of the root causes of the city's traffic problem is poor urban planning, emphasizing that shopping malls and high-rise buildings cause serious traffic congestion. Yavaş said that such projects must be handled carefully in urban planning.

POOR URBAN PLANNING INCREASES THE BURDEN

Yavaş gave examples of how zoning increases in different parts of Ankara affect traffic. He noted that population growth in areas such as Yaşamkent, Alacaatlı, Beytepe, and İncek has increased traffic density. He stated that the population growth in the İncek neighborhood, in particular, is straining the capacity of existing roads. "We have to calculate four vehicles for every one of those apartments," Yavaş said, pointing out that the increasing number of vehicles is further deepening traffic congestion in the city.

Mayor Yavaş stated that the worst traffic congestion in the city occurs in front of shopping malls. "We are not saying 'do not build shopping malls' when you are planning the city, but if you count the traffic passing through there, the high-rise buildings to be built in those places serve no purpose other than to congest traffic," he said. Yavaş emphasized that traffic density must be calculated better when planning the city, citing the impact of large projects like the Merkez Ankara project on traffic as an example.

PROJECTS TO SUPPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ARE COMING

Stating that they will focus on projects that support public transportation to solve Ankara's traffic problem, Mansur Yavaş announced that public transportation will be encouraged through the purchase of electric buses and new dedicated lanes. "From now on, we will implement solutions that support public transportation together through the work we do," Yavaş said. He also mentioned that a referendum would be held to ensure public participation in these projects.

Expressing that the number of vehicles in the city has increased rapidly in recent years, Yavaş noted that 1 million new vehicles have been registered since 2019 alone. He also said that there are 700 thousand vehicles coming from outside the city to Ankara every week, and this situation makes traffic in the city even more complex. Yavaş also stated that this increase has not yet been reflected in official statistics.

SOLUTIONS WILL BE SOUGHT THROUGH COOPERATION

Yavaş touched upon the importance of cooperation between the municipality and tradespeople in solving the traffic problem. Emphasizing the importance of the cooperation with the Ankara Chamber of Automobile and Drivers Tradesmen, Yavaş said, "We will find a solution to this problem together." Yavaş stated that they will continue to listen to suggestions and projects to solve Ankara's traffic problem.

News Source: 12punto