Police cars on duty in regions categorized as "unsafe" now drive alongside the buses to protect them on their way through the streets of dangerous neighborhoods. Sources claim that after 6:30 p.m. public busses simply cannot drive through the Şahintepe and Güvercintepe territories in the Küçükçekmece district in southwest İstanbul where 12 İETT buses have been subject to Molotov cocktail attacks in the past three months. The same sources report that despite all measures taken against potential attacks, İETT buses refrain from going into certain districts altogether, dropping off their passengers as many as five stops earlier than the final destination, forcing them to walk the remaining distance.
The Vehicles Department at the İETT on Wednesday in a written statement for its drivers asked that they prioritize the safety of themselves and their passengers in the case of an attack on their bus. The statement also asked drivers to avoid unsafe routes and leave as quickly as possible any region in which they notice preparations for a demonstration or rally.
Hidden cameras on public buses
İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş announced that the municipality will be installing hidden cameras on İETT buses, which he referred to as "vehicles used by lower income groups."
According to officials at the İETT, 1,015 buses will be equipped with the recording devices. The cameras will record images both inside and outside the buses, the mayor explained. "The necessary measures should be taken. People who come back home tired after a long day shouldn't have to get off early and walk to a certain place," he added.
Earlier this week the media reported that the İETT was rearranging city bus routes to avoid regions considered "unsafe" due to increased terrorist attacks on public transportation vehicles.
In the Monday issue of Turkish daily Radikal, İstanbul's former police chief Necdet Menzir said that the Molotov cocktail attacks on buses were actually attempts to create safe havens from the police for members of ideological groups, gangs and outlaws.
İETT buses will avoid the following routes in İstanbul due to security concerns: The Gülsuyu and Esenkent neighborhoods of Maltepe; the Mustafa Kemal neighborhood of Ümraniye; the Esatpaşa neighborhood of Üsküdar; the Pendik and Aydos neighborhoods of Sülüntepe; the Gölet neighborhood of Sultanbeyli; the Güzeltepe, Akşemsettin and Çobançeşme neighborhoods of Eyüp; the Yunus Emre and Gazi neighborhoods of Gaziosmanpaşa; the Turgutreis and Birlik neighbhorhoods of Esenler; the Nurtepe neighborhood of Kâğıthane; the Şark Kahvesi neighbhorhood of Okmeydanı; the Şahintepe, Güvercintepe and Tahtakale neighborhoods of Küçükçekmece and the Ateştuğla, Göztepe and Atışalanı neighborhoods of Bağcılar.
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