AKP candidate vows to end Istanbul’s traffic jam

Istanbul's rail system will be increased to 518 kilometers in five years, Binali Yıldırım, the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) mayoral candidate for the metropolis vowed on Feb. 28.
"The solution is public transportation such as metro and suburban trolley lines. Right now the [rail] length is 170 kilometers long. We aim to increase this to 518 kilometers in five years. If we reach this figure, [the rail system] will be longer than Tokyo's and London's," said Yıldırım, on private broadcaster Kanal D.
"If one says that Istanbul's traffic will be relieved by 100 percent, then he is not telling the truth. I am pledging a more bearable traffic for Istanbulites," he added.
Yıldırım also underlined that when the train line connecting suburb Halkalı with Gebze district of Kocaeli province will start to function, the rail length will increase to 238 kilometers.
"Istanbul's traffic has a status quo and we have a target we want to achieve with our projects. In Istanbul, over 31 million trips are being made on a daily basis. This figure even reaches 33 million. In 2023, this will increase to 37 million. When compared to other cities on the same scale as Istanbul, this figure is low," he said.
When asked about any new projects, Yıldırım said a three-decker tunnel will be built between Istanbul's two bridges.
"The tunnel starts from Söğütlüçeşme [bus terminal]. We will pass through the two bridges between [neighborhoods of] Ünalan and Altunizade. It will be a rail system that reaches out from Gayrettepe to Tüyap," he added.
The mayoral candidate stressed that this new project will ease the traffic on a major scale and provide a new transformation network between the East and the West.
Istanbul's traffic will now be "smart", according...

Continue reading on: