“More Bus Trips Added for Elections”
With only a few days left until the Presidential and 28th Term Parliamentary Elections on May 14, the July 15 Democracy Bus Terminal is gearing up for the occasion. According to All Bus Drivers Federation (TOF) President Mustafa Yıldırım, some companies have added additional flights for the election, and the main intensity will be experienced on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. While Yıldırım noted that the exit from Istanbul to the city was normal until that day, movements will start from tomorrow, with additional flights being arranged. He added that all buses are currently full, mainly in the earthquake zone, and the movement in people who will vote in the earthquake area is greater.
Besides people going back to their hometowns to vote, some students and political parties are renting buses to transport voters, affecting the market slightly. Yıldırım said that the ministry strictly controls prices, and no one is allowed to use a pricing system that is not approved by the Ministry of Transport. With oil prices falling, companies are not in a position to take advantage of the situation, but he stressed the need to exercise caution when carrying pirates and paying attention to unregistered flights made outside the bus station.
Several operators of transport companies claimed that with the election approaching, there have been a lot of people traveling to their electoral districts in recent days. Some even bought their tickets in advance within the dates of 12-13 May.
Overall, there will be an intensity of 5-6 days in total regarding the election, with the earthquake zone receiving more additional flights than other areas. Yıldırım expects that there will be more arrivals from Anatolia to Istanbul, and departures from Istanbul to the city are expected to increase over the weekend and the following Monday to Wednesday. With prices being controlled strictly by the ministry, passengers can expect to pay normal prices.
