Private-public buses suspend services in Ankara

ANKARA

Private-public buses and minibuses in Ankara have decided to suspend their services as of yesterday due to increasing fuel prices, the mayor of the Turkish capital has announced.

“Owners of private-public buses and minibuses serving in Ankara demand that the transportation cost be at least 8 Turkish Liras [$0.50] in the face of the economic difficulties and the increasing cost of fuel,” Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş said on Twitter.

Yavaş noted that they also demanded that the free transportation fee determined by the Family and Social Services Ministry should be covered by the municipality.

Stating that neither citizens nor the municipality can meet these demands in today’s economic conditions, Yavaş announced that services of private-public buses and minibuses in Ankara will be suspended as of March 10.

Expressing that all the possibilities of the municipality will be mobilized in order not to affect residents negatively in this process, Yavaş said that he thinks it would be appropriate for citizens to prefer their private vehicles until a solution is found.