January 29, 2006 The legal framework to allow privatization in the public transportation bus system is in the works in Istanbul for some time. The Municipality’s Problem is not to Give Service but to Sell The Deputy General Secretary of the Greater Istanbul Municipality Mesut Pektaş informed that the public transportation needed to be privatized. […]
January 29, 2006
The legal framework to allow privatization in the public transportation bus system is in the works in Istanbul for some time.
The Municipality’s Problem is not to Give Service but to Sell
The Deputy General Secretary of the Greater Istanbul Municipality Mesut Pektaş informed that the public transportation needed to be privatized. He said, “For us, the municipalities should abandon public transportation after the preparation of a legal framework. If the private sector runs the busses, we could divert the funds to other services.”
What will the Municipality do if it will not even carry passengers?
Mesut Pektaş added, “This communist understanding must go. There are others who can run busses better than local governments. Municipalities should not be in the business of operating bus lines. We should prepare the conditions and control the quality of services. There is no need for public operation here. A bus costs 250-300 Euros. It requires a substantial investment. If the private sector does this investment, we could save on resources and provide other services. On the other hand, we could, as the local government, be a sponsor the for parking space of the operator company. The revenues from the lines could be used as collateral. This way, the bus manufacturers will increase their production and new drivers will be hired.”
Society Busses
Pektaş continued, “For example, we could have morning and evening services run between important centers. Let’s say, busses running between Bostancı and Taksim would have a different fare. There would be personnel taking the coats of the passengers when they get on and offer tea services. We could even have internet access.”
While the bus fares currently being more expensive than the raise in the minimum wage for one day, the crowded services under heavy traffic and in old busses continue. For the laborers who have to endure these trips both morning and night every day look at busses with internet service as pipe dreams.
Don’t let the new busses get old on the roads to shantytowns
On the other hand, the extra 239 busses bought to alleviate the need for more busses have not been assigned to the routes where the laborers travel like sardines, but they started operating in relatively higher income neighborhoods.
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M.B.
