Chubby vintage bus ‘Tosun’ hits Istanbul's roads again

Sarah Selin Doğan ISTANBUL - HDN

Chubby vintage bus 'Tosun'. Hurriyet Photo

Residents and tourists in Istanbul are lining up to ride a vintage bus from the city’s past, the Tosun, after the vehicle – Turkey’s first locally produced bus – was returned to the roads following popular demand.

Turkish manufacturers first produced the Tosun in 1968 as part of a move to reduce dependence on Italian imports.

In 1984, the buses were taken out of service. But after a period of 29 years, the Tosun has begun to serve both Istanbulites and foreign tourists again,with riders expressing their happiness at seeing the nostalgic form of the transport.

The vintage bus runs twice a day on the Edirnekapı-Taksim route.