Eyüp Aksu

A row over taxis in Istanbul that has been going on for nearly two years has turned to a critical point after a practice that local officials promised to bring to life: A 1986-dated decision that stipulated that taxi licenses should be given to those who make a living only from driving.

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's proposal to roll out 6,000 new taxi licenses has been rejected once again by the decision of the city's transportation coordination body.

The proposal of the municipality was put on the agenda for the third time at the Transportation Coordination Center (UKOME) meeting held at the Istanbul Congress Center on Nov. 26.

Hundreds of taxis in Istanbul will provide free ride to health care staff, who work at the city's public hospitals under a scheme coordinated by the governor's office and the provincial directorate of health.

Among other things, one will now also need to have completed a training program to qualify as a taxi driver in Istanbul. If anyone is caught giving ride service as a taxi driver without obtaining the relevant certification, they will be banned from traffic.