Istanbul’s taxi drivers, who’ve made headlines prior to now because of their violation of visitors guidelines and inappropriate habits with passengers, proceed to rack up fines for his or her violations.
According to the knowledge compiled by an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent from the info of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s (IBB) Public Transportation Services Directorate, 18,395 taxis have been working within the metropolis in 2022 and 54,395 drivers labored in these taxis. Many have been reported to be notoriously impolite to passengers and plenty of complaints have been acquired, together with these associated to drivers rejecting prospects planning to solely journey quick distances.
Last yr, inspections have been carried out at 1,560 totally different factors by the groups of the Public Transportation Services Directorate. In whole, there have been 80,127 complaints about taxis carrying passengers within the metropolis. Some 44,129 of the complaints have been about “fares and choosing passengers,” that are among the many most typical complaints in opposition to hundreds of taxi drivers in Istanbul, essentially the most populated metropolis of Türkiye. Customers declare drivers ask them the place they wish to journey earlier than they get into the car. If they don’t plan to journey an extended distance, the motive force comes up with excuses to not take them or flat out refuses the shoppers. Likewise, 7,781 of the complaints have been about “being rude to passengers,” and 6,948 of them have been about “extra charges.”
Other complaints embrace 6,659 for “violation of traffic rules,” 3,435 for “taking the passenger via a longer route,” 3,315 for “not taking passengers for short distances” and a couple of,301 complaints about not opening the taximeter. According to the survey carried out in Istanbul, some 5 million folks take taxis within the metropolis, whereas those that want to not take them cited excessive costs as the principle purpose.
As a results of inspections and complaints, 2,048 taxis in Istanbul have been fined TL 212,650 ($11,312) in 2022.
Most folks imagine that an up to date system for taxis might resolve most issues associated to the providers. Although a handful of apps are at present obtainable for hitching a taxi experience in Istanbul, drivers proceed to violate the legal guidelines.
On the opposite hand, minibuses that violated visitors guidelines additionally confronted fines and hundreds of complaints. In Istanbul, 5,709 minibuses serve on 163 minibus strains and 443 routes. Some 11,579 inspections of minibuses have been carried out by IBB groups in 2022. The groups issued fines to 11,860 minibus drivers that violated the foundations final yr, together with for “violations of traffic rules,” 6,396 for “not stopping to pick up passengers,” 2,779 for “violation of routes” and 881 complaints about drivers “smoking contained in the car.
