Size of Istanbul’s taxi service market estimated at 48 bln liras
ISTANBUL
More than 20,000 taxis with nearly 41,000 drivers are operating in Istanbul, generating an annual revenue of 47.8 billion Turkish Liras ($1.3 billion), according to a report by consulting company Ernst & Young.
Each taxi makes 36 trips per day in the mega city where the population soared by 115 percent from 1990 to 2024 to nearly 16 million but the number of taxis during this period rose by only 17 percent to 20,311, the report said.
Some 86 percent of Istanbul residents have difficulty finding a taxi, and 33 percent “always have difficulty,” found the study, titled “The Transformation of Istanbul’s Taxi Ecosystem.”
The number of taxis per 1,000 people is 1.3 in Istanbul, while this figure averages 9.7 in global cities, according to the report.
The insufficient number of vehicles leads to an increase in the use of pirate taxis, which operate illegally. Some 51 percent of the city residents, however, find pirate taxis “more affordable,” found the study.
According to the report, more than 50 percent of tourists complain about high fare demands, long routes, and the lack of drivers who speak foreign languages. The number of tourists visiting the city skyrocketed by 879 percent from 1990 to 2024 to 18.6 million.
Some 30 percent of drivers use taxi-hailing applications and conduct 55 percent of their trips through these digital platforms, said the report.
Additionally, 87 percent of taxi drivers in Istanbul use applications for traffic conditions and route information, it added.
However, according to the report, fare and route disputes between passengers and drivers appear to be common issues.
