A ceremony was held for the 135th birthday of Tünel with the participation of Tünel employees and İstanbul Transportation Authority (İETT) officials. İETT General Director Hayri Baraçlı and two İETT employees cut the Tünel birthday cake, accompanied by confetti and a fireworks show.“Tünel is a historic place, and we are proud to have kept one of the symbols of İstanbul alive to this day,” Baraçlı said.
The idea of building Tünel was brought by French engineer Eugène-Henri Gavand. Gavand observed people rushing between the Galata (Karaköy) and Pera (Beyoğlu) quarters, which were trade and banking centers at the time. He later received royal permission from Sultan Abdülaziz in 1869. Construction started in 1871, and Tünel opened with an extravagant ceremony in 1875.
İETT to object to reversal of increased Metrobus fares
Noting that increased fares will be in effect until the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Transportation Coordination Center (UKOME) decides otherwise, İETT General Director Baraçlı said he will object to a decision handed down by the İstanbul 10th Administrative Court earlier this month to suspend the November 2009 UKOME decision to increase Metrobus fares from TL 1.50 to TL 2.
He further noted that they are currently working on a new fare system to have passengers pay in accordance with the distance they travel. With this system, passengers will pay the full fare when boarding, but will then be refunded a part of the fare for the distance they did not travel when exiting from a station.
Also providing information about İETT investments, Baraçlı said the institution plans to invest in rail systems. “We also plan to renovate the buses and use more technology in our vehicles to ensure customer satisfaction. Our primary goal is high-quality service and our public’s satisfaction,” he added.
