The proposal of 5.000 new taxi plates and a related new taxi system, brought to the agenda of UKOME by IMM to solve the taxi problem in Istanbul, was rejected for the 10th time by a majority of votes. IMM Secretary General Can Akın Çağlar, who directed the meeting, underlined that 5 thousand new taxis mean 20 thousand new employments and said, “As IMM, we subsidize IETT for 4 billion liras in order to offer cheap public transportation to Istanbul residents. We do not hesitate to provide subsidies for 5 thousand taxis, considering the convenience of our people.”
The October UKOME meeting was held at İBB Yenikapı Kadir Topbaş Performance and Art Center under the management of İBB Secretary General Can Akın Çağlar. At the meeting, the proposal for the new taxi system to be operated by IMM and the allocation of 5.000 new taxi license plates was discussed for the 10th time.
ÇAĞLAR: “5 Thousand Taxis Means 20 Thousand Employment”
IMM Secretary General CanAkın Çağlar, who gave information about the new taxi system at the meeting, said that they were managing IMM with scientific data and it was clearly seen that the number of taxis was not enough in this context. Reminding that many taxi drivers come face to face with the public by choosing roads and passengers and treating passengers badly, Çağlar stated that the new taxi system will set an example for Turkey.
Saying that they brought the new taxi system to the agenda in order to quell the cries of Istanbulites due to their duties, Çağlar drew attention to the fact that 43 percent of the income in taxis goes to the license plate owner and 13 percent to the driver.
“WE ALSO SUBSCRIBE TAXI FOR CHEAP TRANSPORTATION”
Stating that as IMM, they subsidize IETT with 320 million liras every month and 4 billion liras a year in order to offer cheap public transportation, Çağlar said, “We serve 20 million tourists and students in Istanbul, and it is clear with scientific data that 17 thousand 395 taxis are not enough. We do not hesitate to provide this subsidy for 5 thousand taxis for the convenience of our people. 5 thousand new taxis means 20 thousand new employment. Don't ignore this either. We demand a positive outcome of the issue before this tension between our people and taxi drivers turns into a social trauma.”
UTKU CIHAN: “THE NEW SYSTEM WILL RELEASE THE PRESSURE ON THE DRIVERS”
IMM Transportation Department Head Utku Cihan reminded that the population and tourism have developed since 1990, but the number of taxis has not increased, and said that the need for taxis in the city is very visible. Stating that the current taxi system also causes problems, Cihan pointed out that the need for a taxi was revealed in the reports prepared separately by IMM and ITU in the past.
Reminding that the world went to institutionalization 15 years ago, Cihan said that they will establish a new system to solve the taxi problem with 5 thousand license plates that will remain in the hands of the public. Emphasizing that they will also encourage the institutionalization of the existing 17 taxis, Cihan said:
“In our system, the money going to the license plate owner and the intermediary will remain in the system and the pressure on the driver to remove all these fees will be eliminated. If 5 taxi offers are approved, we will hire taxi, minibus and bus drivers with experience in Istanbul. We have determined that 5-35 thousand private vehicles will be withdrawn from the traffic if 40 thousand vehicles enter the traffic.”
At the meeting, 5.000 new taxi license plates and the related new taxi system proposal, which were put to the vote in the name of other evaluations, were rejected for the 10th time by the majority of the representatives of the Ministry and the President of the Istanbul Taxi Drivers' Chamber.
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