Shortly before Eid al-Fitr, those who want to take a vacation turned their eyes to the prices of planes, trains and buses. As citizens complained about ticket prices at the bus station, All Bus Drivers’ Federation (TOF) Chairman Mustafa Yıldırım said they had a hard time on this holiday compared to previous holidays . Stating that there has been an 80% increase in bus ticket prices over the past 3 months, Yıldırım said: “Prices are between 300-350 lira for 500 kilometers and 450-500 lira for one thousand kilometers On some routes, the plane is cheaper than the bus. The price of the bus and the plane are very close to each other. Citizens choose their first choice on the plane. He said: “The train costs 120 lire. that cheap.”
NUMBER OF PASSENGERS REDUCED BY 2 OUT OF 3
Stating that they had an inconvenient process this holiday compared to previous holidays, Mustafa Yıldırım said, “Compared to holidays in previous years, we are going through a very inconvenient process. The number of passengers has decreased by 2/3. In the past, the buses were full for a week, there was no room, additional flights were opened, but now “There is no such situation. Compared to past years, which was not so bad even during the pandemic process. There is a 2-day occupation only in the 28th and 29th. Other than that, we will wait for their return, there will be a busy return in 2 days,” he said.
PRICE INCREASE OF 80 PER CENT IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS
Stating that vacations are important for bus drivers, Yıldırım said, “People were going on vacation to their hometowns, they were going to vacation destinations, there is very little demand right now. We are living vacations so inconvenient for the first time. The buses are in the parks, we don’t have the option of opening additional flights. “There has been a price increase of almost 80 percent. Even this does not save, because there is only a fuel cost of about 15 thousand liras a thousand kilometers from here. There is no chance of making money unless you put at least 35 to 40 people on a bus,” he said.
FLOATING IS CHEAPER THAN THE BUS
Providing information on ticket prices, Yıldırım said: “The prices are between 300 and 350 lira for 500 kilometers, 450-500 lira for a thousand kilometers. Especially when the Istanbul-İzmir line, the Osmangazi bridge, the Yavuz bridge Sultan Selim and the highway money comes in, we only pay a thousand lira for the highways and bridges, when you put fuel and other costs into it, it seems impossible to make money on the Aegean road You look at the airlines, in some lines, the plane is cheaper than the bus. The price of the bus and the plane are very close to each other. Citizens use the plane as the first choice. .The train costs 120 lira.Nowhere in the world is there a fast train management like this.It’s not cheap.Human transport should be the same and protected in the air, on land, on the sea, on the railway,” he said.
VAT ON TICKETS SHOULD BE REDUCED TO 1 PER CENT
Yıldırım said, “Many of our passengers are students this season. Students came home once a week, and now they can’t even come once a month. “The time has come to travel. They should give us a 50 They should abolish motor vehicle tax for commercial vehicles. They should reduce VAT on bus tickets to 1%. It is a need of people just as much as water, air and bread,” he said.
THIS YEAR OUR CARS ARE EMPTY
Siyami Temiz, who works at an agency that transports passengers to Tokat, said, “There has been an increase in bus ticket prices. It also affected the bus companies. Our cars used to be full every year, but they are empty now. Tickets were supposed to be 80% complete, now we’re at 20%. Tokat. The ticket price was 250 lira, now it is 400 lira,” he said.
Nusret Biçer, who carries passengers to Kars, said: “It’s vacation time, but there are no passengers. Our bus costs only 22,000 lira to and from Kars. The last holidays, the occupancy rate was very high. did 3-4 buses. Currently, 10 days before the party. “We can barely make a bus. Kars is 450 kilometers away, ticket price is 400 lira. Ankara 450 kilometers away, they write 300 lira. writing 250 lira tickets to Kars, but our buses were bringing in lira. money,” he said.
THEY PREFER THE BUS TO THE CAR
Dinçer Aslan, who will be traveling to Erzurum, said: “Tickets cost 400 lira. Not only tickets, but everything is very high. People also have to do it high because the fuel is too high. Someone has to find a solution. We have our own car, but we can’t go because last year it was 1. If we go for 5 lira, now we go for 5 lira,” he said.
Özge Yaşar, who will go to Gümüşhane for the holidays, said: “It would be better if the prices were very high. The ticket, which was 220 lira last year, has become 350 lira this year.”