Transportation fares in Istanbul have increased. The Union of Chambers of Craftsmen and Tradesmen announced that public transportation fares in Istanbul will rise by 35%. The decision was reported to have been approved by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality bureaucrats holding the majority. Accordingly, fares for İETT buses, metrobus and metro services have been updated; the new and previous rates for the shortest distance are as follows.
- The shortest distance fare rose from 2.60 TL to 3.50 TL.
- Student Card balance rose from 40 TL to 50 TL.
- Blue Card (full) rose from 205 TL to 275 TL.
The increase was decided by the Transportation Coordination Center (UKOME). Following a request from the Istanbul Union of Chambers of Craftsmen and Tradesmen, UKOME held a meeting at AKOM and agreed to raise electronic ticket tariffs by 35%.
How Much Did Istanbul Public Transport Increase?
How much did Istanbul public transport increase? After the decision to raise fares, ISTESOB Vice President Engin Türkmen commented on the increase. Türkmen stated that they had not received an increase since 2017 and that bus operators are struggling due to inflation and rising costs. He said they presented their demands at the UKOME meeting held at AKOM and submitted a prepared three-year cost assessment. According to that assessment, costs have risen by about 105% over the period. Türkmen also noted that the price of a bus reached around 1 million TL in that time. He added that the municipality implemented a 35% increase on their behalf, and the proposal was accepted by majority vote. He acknowledged that 35% may seem large, but emphasized that no increases were given for three years—if a 10% annual increase had been applied each year, today’s rate would be similar.
Türkmen explained which services the increase covers: except for Marmaray, the rise applies to services using the Istanbulkart, including private public buses, metro, İETT and metrobus. Thus, the fare for the shortest distance will increase from 2.60 TL to 3.50 TL, and the monthly student pass will rise from 40 TL to 50 TL. After the completion of official procedures and related technical updates for Istanbulkart, the new fares will be implemented starting from February 10, 2020.
What Are the New Istanbul Public Transport Fares?
What are the new Istanbul public transport fares? Following the decision, the updated fares for Istanbul public transport are as follows.
- Full Ticket: 3.50 TL
- Student Ticket: 1.75 TL
- Full Blue Card: 275 TL
- Student Blue Card: 50 TL
Transfer fees have also been set. For buses and IBB-operated rail systems, full transfer fares are determined as follows.
- First transfer: 2.50 TL
- Second transfer: 1.90 TL
- Third to fifth transfers: 1.20 TL
Student transfer fares are set as follows.
- First transfer: 0.75 TL
- Second transfer: 0.70 TL
- Third to fifth transfers: 0.60 TL
City line ferries and sea motors integrated into the ticketing system were also repriced. Routes that were 2.60 TL are now 3.50 TL, routes that were 2.70 TL are now 3.65 TL, and routes that were 3.00 TL are now 4.00 TL. Transfer fees for maritime routes are:
- First transfer: 2.80 TL
- Second transfer: 2.30 TL
- Third to fifth transfers: 2.00 TL