[NEWS ANALYSIS] The wrong decision: 2010 bus fares must reflect 2010 prices!

As an on-off resident who frequently travels within Turkey, I rely on Ankara’s underground (Ankaray) to bring me from the central coach station to Kızılay (the major shopping district); besides, I frequently travel by dolmuş (minibus), which can be found almost anywhere in the inner city. Bigger buses may get crowded, but that only shows that Ankara’s citizens like to travel on them. Now all this is under threat: A local court decided to return prices to those of the year 2003.

It is true that at the moment fares in the Turkish capital are more expensive than in İstanbul, but it seems unavoidable that over time a rise shall occur there, too. I am not saying that I am happy paying more to get from A to B, but my concern is twofold: First, any city or metropolis needs a comprehensive public transportation structure. Individual journeys by car with one passenger only do not make sense unless they are absolutely necessary. Whether we believe in what the scientists say about global warming does not matter: We can see and smell air pollution without the need to obtain a doctorate first.

Our cities are over-polluted, and reducing car emissions is crucial to hopefully remedy that situation. Second, I prefer a safe trip instead of being taken for a ride by cowboy bus operators who may want to make money fast while exploiting the situation the court in Ankara has created: If many minibus owners will be forced out of business and the municipality reduces off-peak frequencies or slashes less-used routes, some “entrepreneurs” may start running buses that are cheaper to operate or with less-qualified (and underpaid!) drivers. A very dangerous scenario!

The situation that is now unfolding in Ankara is comparable to what has been tried (and mostly shelved again) in other transport industry sectors: I witnessed the (in)famous “one pound sterling regardless of destination” long-distance coach fare offer in England (when compared with regular prices in the region of 25 to 30 pound sterling). We are all aware of how airlines compete for each and every passenger by reducing fares, which is, of course, one way to attract new customers. I fully appreciate a functioning market economy, and every operator must be allowed to charge according to his own business acumen (and plans). However, there must be a regulator at hand that carefully monitors safety standards and makes sure cheaper fares do not compromise the health and safety of both passengers and staff.

This is why I take the liberty to write a critical comment about the abovementioned decision by the court in Ankara. While a short-term gain may be the expected positive reactions from the general public, over time, complaints will come in. Today it is the operators and the municipality that are justifiably unhappy about the verdict, but tomorrow it will be the very same general public. Accidents will increase, speeding will be standard between competing minibus drivers. (They already do it, so it can only get worse!) Buses will be more crowded and less frequent. Even people without access to a car will now consider buying one. A regulatory impact analysis commissioned before the court decided in favor of Turkey’s Federation of Consumer Associations (TÜDEF) should have given the court more room to perhaps come to a more realistic decision.

One way out of the situation could be to redesign Ankara’s fare structure in line with what other world cities have begun to implement. There could be a peak hour versus off-peak hour fare scale. More expensive from 7 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. and then again from 4:30 p.m. until 7 pm. It may work out well for public and private operators alike. Lines would not need to be shut down, and above all, “healthy competition” would bring improvements in safety standards and more comfort, not their reductions. Perhaps the municipality could prepare a policy about this matter to try and reverse the situation? Ankara, as Turkey’s capital city, simply needs its public transportation network.