Commuters in Istanbul faced major disruptions in public transportation on Wednesday morning after over 3,000 private public buses suspended operations in protest over months of unpaid receivables from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB).
The strike, which began during the early hours of the morning, affected thousands of passengers relying on the privately operated buses that typically account for nearly 15,000 daily trips, transporting close to 2 million people across the city.
The sudden halt in service led to passenger congestion at major transfer hubs, with long lines reported in Mecidiyeköy on the European side and Uzunçayır and Kozyatağı on the Asian side. Many passengers were left waiting indefinitely or forced to seek alternative transportation such as dolmuş (shared taxis), minibuses, taxis or private vehicles.
“I’m already late for my lecture,” said Bahar Salova, a university student waiting at Uzunçayır IETT stop. “This is frustrating. The authorities need to pay what’s owed to the drivers before the whole system collapses.”
Adding to the confusion, IBB’s bus tracking app “Where is My Bus?” failed to provide real-time updates due to the high number of canceled trips, leaving many passengers in the dark about available services.
According to the Istanbul Chamber of Private Public Bus Owners and Operators, the strike was prompted by unpaid dues totaling approximately TL 6 billion ($150 million) over a four-month period. Operators claim that despite a standing contract with the municipality, they have been receiving irregular and delayed payments for nearly four years.
In a statement issued earlier in the week, the chamber said: “We regret having to take this step, but under these financial conditions, continuing service has become impossible. This is not a protest – it’s economic survival.”
Following a day of widespread delays and public frustration, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality announced that it had reached a mutual agreement with bus operators by Wednesday afternoon.
“Out of 3,020 private public buses in Istanbul, 1,930 did not operate on May 22. The remaining 1,090 vehicles continued their routes,” said a statement from the municipality.
IBB and the IETT General Directorate confirmed that emergency meetings held with representatives of the private operators led to an agreement on a payment plan for 2025, bringing the protest to an end.
“Thanks to additional services and coordinated efforts, we avoided a citywide transportation breakdown,” the statement said. “From now on, we will continue to work toward a more efficient and reliable public transit system for Istanbul.”
By the evening, private buses had gradually resumed service, helping ease pressure on Istanbul’s already strained transit network.
