Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • TÜRKİYE
  • Istanbul
  • Education
  • Investigations
  • Minorities
  • Expat Corner
  • Diaspora

Istanbul runs out of mass transit passes amid pandemic worries

by DAILY SABAH

ISTANBUL Sep 30, 2021 - 11:35 am GMT+3
People waiting outside an Istanbulkart sales point, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sept. 29, 2021. (İHA PHOTO)
People waiting outside an Istanbulkart sales point, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sept. 29, 2021. (İHA PHOTO)
by DAILY SABAH Sep 30, 2021 11:35 am
RECOMMENDED
An aerial view of Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha Mosque, Istanbul, Türkiye, May 11, 2023. (AA Photo)

Istanbul embraces new Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha Mosque

barbaros-hayrettin-pasha-mosque

Istanbulites are accustomed to buses breaking down and suffocating crowds in mass transit but the transportation in Turkey’s most populated city, one of the country's worst in terms of traffic jams, faces a fresh crisis.

Long lines have formed outside centers to top up and renew mass transit passes, known as Istanbulkart, as the municipality acknowledges a shortage of passes. Municipality officials say the crisis is linked to the coronavirus pandemic, which forced authorities to issue exclusive passes for each individual passenger.

Since January, it has been mandatory for Istanbulkart holders to match their Life Fits Into Home (Hayat Eve Sığar – HES) code with their cards. HES, an application developed by the Health Ministry, provides access to an individual's health information and shows whether they are infected with the deadly disease. Though an online update is available for existing cards, getting a new pass is a challenge nowadays for those without one.

Municipality kiosks where passes can be obtained are limited in number. When people try to obtain a card through automated machines set up in mass transit hubs, they encounter a message saying “no Istanbulkart is available.”

Yücel Karadeniz, director of an electronic payment company of the municipality which oversees pass supplies, says they recently launched a tender to purchase 1.5 million new passes. Karadeniz told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Thursday that the problem stems from the new rule of exclusivity.

“More than one person could use Istanbulkart before but HES code practice made it personalized only for one person’s use. So, we have seen a rise in the demand for the cards,” he said.

“Our usual amount of card supplies was 4.5 million every year but this year, we had to supply about 6.5 million new passes,” he said. Karadeniz said they also had to restrict new pass sales to sales points instead of automated machines to prevent “fraud,” citing fraudsters purchasing cards en masse and selling them to people without a HES code.

Muhammet Eren Saygın, who was among those waiting to get a new pass outside a kiosk, said he recently arrived in Istanbul and wasn't able to purchase an Istanbulkart. “I could not get anywhere by mass transit and had to take a taxi. It cost me a lot. You cannot buy Istanbulkart everywhere. Automated machines give only single pass and you cannot match your HES code,” he complained.

The shortage was particularly depressing for students at a time when education is in-person. Ebrar Turan said she had to travel to the Yenibosna neighborhood from Fatih district, more than 10 kilometers (6 miles), to get a pass from a kiosk there. “And now I have to wait in the line for another half an hour. There should be more locations from where we can obtain passes,” she told Ihlas News Agency (IHA).

RECOMMENDED
An aerial view of Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha Mosque, Istanbul, Türkiye, May 11, 2023. (AA Photo)

Istanbul embraces new Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha Mosque

barbaros-hayrettin-pasha-mosque
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Sep 30, 2021 1:12 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    istanbul mass transit traffic istanbulkart covid-19 pandemic hes code
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Mayan pyramid and ruins in the famous Tikal National Park, Guatemala. (Getty Images Photo)

    Scientists discover 417 Mayan cities in Guatemala's forested area

    mayan-city
    Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Republican People's Party (CHP) chairperson and presidential candidate, gives a speech during a campaign rally in Antakya, Türkiye, May 23, 2023. (AFP Photo)

    In Türkiye, out of the democratic grandfather came a fascist

    türkiye-elections

    Is economic policy overhaul in sight after Türkiye runoff?

    turkish-elections

    'Germany's arrest of Turkish journalists violates press freedom'

    TÜRKIYE-ELECTIONS
    No Image
    Northern lights magic: The magnificence of the Aurora Borealis
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021