‘Congestion fees may ease Istanbul traffic’

ISTANBUL

The concept of "congestion charging," in which vehicles entering areas with heavy traffic are charged a fee, has recently been gaining traction as a potential solution to simultaneously alleviate traffic congestion and mitigate air pollution.

The practice, which has already been implemented in major cities around the world, decreases traffic by 10 to 40 percent and public transportation use increases by 5 to 15 percent, according to Professor Ayşe Uyduranoğlu from Istanbul Bilgi University.

Introduced for the first time in Singapore in 1975, the practice yielded successful results and became the country's permanent traffic policy. Later, it was also implemented in some European cities such as Milan, Stockholm and London.

Congestion charging is initially planned for Eminönü and Kadıköy in Istanbul. A survey conducted with 852 people living in Istanbul shows that those who use public transportation support the practice at a higher rate, while car owners are less convinced that the implementation will bring a solution.

"It is important to implement the system in pilot regions first and share the results with the community on a regular basis. When it was first proposed in Stockholm, a referendum was held and the vote was 'no.' A pilot was then run for seven months. During this time, the reduction in air pollution and the regular publicizing of the positive results changed public opinion. In the second referendum, most citizens voted 'yes,'" Uyduranoğlu said.

Noting that many cities are postponing the transition to a charging system due to insufficient public transportation capacity, Uyduranoğlu emphasized the importance of using revenues gained from the practice to improve public transportation.

"There could be a one-way flat fee for all vehicles subject to the scheme, regardless of vehicle type and time spent in the area. A lower tariff could be applied to environmentally friendly vehicles, such as electric vehicles," Uyduranoğlu suggested.