Istanbul taxi chief says efficiency, not more cabs, key to solving shortage
Istanbul’s taxi problem can be solved by improving efficiency rather than increasing the number of cabs, according to İsmet Dalcı, the head of the Istanbul Taxi Drivers Chamber (İTEO).
Dalcı noted that Istanbul currently has 20,311 taxis operated by around 60,000 drivers, but emphasized that the core issue lies in how efficiently those taxis are used.
“Istanbul taxis operate at 48 percent efficiency. A taxi that drives 100 kilometers is occupied for only 48 kilometers and runs empty for 52 kilometers. This is very low,” he said.
“If we increase efficiency from 48 percent to 90 percent, it would have the same impact as adding 8,531 new taxis without increasing the actual number,” he explained.
