'Dynamic pricing' under way for highways, bridges across Turkey 
Vehicles seen at the toll booths on the Istanbul-Izmir highway passing through northwestern Bursa province, Turkey, Aug. 19, 2019. (AA Photo)


With the new regulation on the pricing of the bridge and highway pass fees across Turkey, a new program called "dynamic pricing" will be adopted. The new model is set to launch as part of the 2021 Presidential Annual Program – the details of which have recently been announced. Under the program, citizens will be able to use highways at a cheaper cost on certain days and hours.

Accordingly, the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry will begin work on the model which will enable the pricing to be altered instantly according to demand.

"Work will be started to implement a demand management system with dynamic pricing on highways and bridges," the report said, adding that the demand management will be adopted to ensure the sustainability of the transportation system and the efficiency of the existing infrastructure, adding that transportation investments will be rationalized with a focus on efficiency.

Many European countries already use the software to follow the demand of users 24/7 and their pricing strategy can change according to the intensity of demand.

Airline companies also adopt the same model making tickets cheaper during less busy periods without causing damage to the operator.

Projects in the transportation sector will be reviewed, giving priority to more efficient programs and taking into account criteria such as the needs of the transportation system, traffic volume progress and tender status. Projects that lose priority and feasibility will be terminated.

The new program is set to prioritize traffic safety policies and will include a document with training and inspection strategies.

The necessary legal and institutional agreements will be completed in order to carry out maintenance and repair services mainly on the road network, and contracts will be allocated to the private sector based on performance, the program also included.