The transport authority of Turkey's most populated city will purchase 200 electric buses as it strives to keep the growing traffic problem in Istanbul less hazardous to health.

Istanbul's public transport body, the İETT, will launch a public tender for buses with a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles) and the buses will have a trial run on the city's metrobus lane which is designed to ease traffic and offer faster transport for millions of residents.

The first electric buses will be put into service by the end of this year and the buses will have a maximum capacity of 120 passengers.

Electric buses are a novelty for Turkey though they are in use in other countries. The central city of Konya became the first in the country to introduce electric buses to mass transit last year.

Turkey has increasingly turned to electric vehicle production with several companies developing electric cars as well as making deals for production abroad.

Although use of electric-powered vehicles in mass transit is currently limited, with swelling populations, Turkish cities are thinking about the further use of alternative energy sources for mass transit.

Increased use of mass transit requires efforts to curb pollution from buses and other vehicles but Istanbul is no stranger to environment-friendly mass transit solutions. In 2015, the Istanbul Municipality introduced the country's first solar-powered bus.