Istanbul Raises Transportation Prices
Istanbul, a city of over 15 million people, is known for its extensive public transportation system that includes buses, metro, tram, funicular, ferry, and more. Recently, there have been some changes to the fares for these transportation services.
Effective January 1, 2023, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) has implemented a new pricing structure for its public transportation services.
Under the new system, passengers will be charged a base fare of 9.90 Turkish lira (TL). This represents an increase of 30% from the old base fare of 7.60 TL. Student fares have also increased to 4.83 TL.
However, some people have expressed concern about the new fares, arguing that they may be too expensive for some commuters. To address this concern, the IMM has introduced a new discount card in 2021 called the "Istanbul Card" (or Istanbulkart) which offers a 20% discount on fares for regular commuters. The card can be purchased at any metro station or authorized sales points, and it is valid for all public transportation services in Istanbul. However that was a few years ago, and now the price of an empty Istanbulkart is now 60.00 TL.
Overall, the changes to Istanbul's public transportation fares are a significant development for the city's commuters. While the new pricing structure may take some time to get used to, it is hoped that it will improve the efficiency and accessibility of the city's transportation system.
We’ve updated our Istanbul Fares & Ticketing page with the updated information. If you need that info, or any other info about transportation around Istanbul, check out the links below.
