Inter-city travel restrictions may be lifted early June

ANKARA

Inter-city travel restrictions introduced in early April as part of wide-ranging measures to arrest the spread of the coronavirus may be abolished next month, Hürriyet daily has reported.

The government imposed the travel ban on April 3 in 30 metropolitan cities and the northern province of Zonguldak, where respiratory diseases are widespread. However, the government lifted the travel restrictions for seven provinces and later another nine provinces. Currently, the restrictions are effective in a total of 15 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir, the country’s most populous three cities.

The travel restrictions for those 15 provinces have been recently extended until June 3.

However, the authorities are presently weighing the prospects of removing the travel restrictions all together soon. Before taking such a measure, the authorities will look at the number of new cases and deaths from COVID-19 in those 15 provinces. If the figures are promising, and the recommendations from the Science Board are in favor of lifting the curbs, the travel restrictions could be removed as of June 3.

Fewer accidents during Eid al-Fitr

Meanwhile, fewer accidents occurred during this Eid al-Fitr compared with the previous years as the number of vehicles on the roads declined.

According to official data, 33 people were killed in road accidents, which marked the lowest death toll in the past 13 years during an Eid. Around 100 people were also injured in traffic accidents.

Turkey imposed a four-day nationwide curfew this year for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Last year, 83 people were killed and nearly 870 others were injured in road accidents during Eid. In 2016, traffic accidents that occurred during Eid al-Fitr holiday claimed the lives of 129 people.