İzmir Metropolitan Municipality is adding 111 new buses to the city’s public transport network, with 39 already in service and the remaining 72 expected within two weeks, the municipality said in a statement reported on Oct. 14.
The new vehicles are split between the city’s two municipal bus operators: 75 go to ESHOT and 36 to İZULAŞ. Together, the two companies carry around 62% of public transport passengers in İzmir, Türkiye’s third-largest city and the hub of the Aegean region.
First deliveries already on the road
The first batch of 39 buses, 29 for ESHOT and 10 for İZULAŞ, has entered service. Purchase and payment for the other 72 have been completed, according to the municipality. Once all deliveries are made, the number of buses in the blue-and-white livery known locally as "Nazar Boncuğu", after the traditional evil-eye charm, will rise to 168.
Older buses that have reached the end of their economic life will be withdrawn gradually. The municipality said the renewal aims to lower the fleet’s average age, cut maintenance and running costs and reduce breakdowns during service.
ESHOT is also adding four mobile repair vehicles and a tow truck to its support fleet so that broken-down buses can be fixed on the spot or cleared quickly, reducing disruption to traffic.
Accessibility and emissions
The new buses are low-floor models designed for step-free boarding, which the municipality said will make travel easier for people with disabilities, older passengers with limited mobility and parents with pushchairs.
They are fitted with Euro 6e low-emission engines and with active and passive safety systems in line with the European Union’s General Safety Regulation, intended to protect pedestrians and cyclists as well as passengers.
Focus on underserved neighbourhoods
The municipality said some of the new capacity will be directed to areas with weaker public transport links, particularly lower-income neighbourhoods. Route planning will take into account passenger demand, existing transport options and local road conditions, with the aim of improving access to transfer hubs, rail connections, schools, hospitals and workplaces.
For foreign residents, İzmir’s buses, ferries, metro, tram and İZBAN suburban trains all use the same İzmirim Kart payment card, which also allows discounted transfers between modes within a set time window. The city has faced repeated complaints in recent years about overcrowding and long waits on bus routes, particularly in fast-growing outer districts.
The municipality did not disclose the cost of the purchase or the manufacturer of the new buses.
Sources
Photo: Satirdan kahraman / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
