Uber vehicles under tight scrutiny following Erdoğan’s remarks

ISTANBUL

Istanbul traffic police have stepped up their inspections to identify Uber vehicles and motorcycles utilizing Scott, an Uber-like ridesharing app, following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments that Uber will no longer be in use in the Turkish metropolis.

On June 2 a total of 26 drivers using Uber vans and three motorcycles were fined a total of 87,174 Turkish Liras ($18,743), while 29 passengers in these vehicles were fined 9,686 liras ($2,082), Doğan News Agency reported.

“Something called Uber or Muber has arisen, that business is over now. There is no such thing anymore ... We already have a taxi system. Where has that arisen out of? It exists in Europe, I do not care,” Erdoğan had said in an iftar (fast breaking) speech on June 1, weighing in on a heated months-long dispute between the yellow taxi and Uber drivers.

“The governor has all the authority on this issue. Our interior minister has given the order ... The traffic police will have a crackdown on them, they will do what is necessary. We will not let the taxi drivers be exploited,” he added.