Aging ferries worry people of İzmir

There were no fatalities or injuries in the incident, and all passengers were safely evacuated from the 59-year-old ferry İhsan Alyanak. Police assistance was required to secure the area and keep passengers and passersby at a safe distance.

The İzmir Municipality operates seven passenger ferries and three ferryboats. The youngest in the fleet is the 22-year-old Esenköy and the oldest is the 60-year-old Bergama, which was built in Bremen, Germany, and can carry a maximum of 368 passengers. In terms of age the Bergama is followed by the 49-year-old Göşcük, the 45-year-old Salacak and the 44-year-old Eminönü.

Experts say that major concerns about the ferry involved in this accident are its age and the likelihood of metal fatigue. They argue that ferries in this condition should be scrapped and replaced with newer models.

In comparison İstanbul has 34 passenger ferries currently in use for city transportation, but its fleet is much younger in comparison. The oldest ferries in İstanbul are the 38-year-old Barış Manço and Aykut Barka, while the youngest in the fleet is the 2010 Hasköy.

The İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality has invested TL 6.5 million on the upgrade of its ferries since 2005.