Transport Problems Pose Threat to Istanbul’s Aspirations

EMBARQ's Istanbul Project Director Sibel Bulay warns Turkey's business elite that successful development will require more sustainable transportation policies

Monday, June 16, 2008 | Istanbul, Turkey

Traffic threatens quality of life and economic growth in Istanbul. Photo by Aslihan Unaldi

Speaking to Turkey’s business and political elite at the Turkish Business Council for Sustainable Development’s recent biennial congress, EMBARQ-Istanbul Project Director Sibel Bulay noted that 45% of Istanbul residents spend at least two hours each day commuting, drastically reducing overall efficiency in the city.  Bulay warned that this serious traffic congestion, along with transport-related air pollution and green house gas emissions, is undermining Istanbul's economic vitality and quality of life, threatening the city's plans to become a world-class business and cultural center.

The high-profile event was the latest in a series of congresses organized biennally by the Turkish Business Council for Sustainable Development (TBCSD) designed to highlight how sustainable practices need not harm businesses’ bottom line.

During the conference’s session on ‘Sustainable Mobility’, Ms. Bulay described how Istanbul’s current addiction to private automobiles is having serious negative impacts on the city’s environment, social fabric, and cultural heritage.  However, she noted that reversing these troubling trends does not have to hurt trade and commerce.  Using the example of London, Bulay described how the city has cut traffic congestion, air pollution, and green house gas emissions by promoting public transport, walking, and biking – and it has done so without hindering economic growth.

Among the sustainable solutions that she advocated during her presentation were:

• Integration of urban and transport planning
• Prioritization and improvement of public transport
• Promotion of cleaner fuels and cleaner vehicles
• Further integration of different transport modes
• Use of fiscal measures like CO2 taxes, and differentated vehicle taxes that can be used to discourage car use and better fund public transport
• Implementation of more robust emissions controls

Bulay also stressed the importance of stakeholder engagement when dealing with complex sustainability problems, and called on the business community to help find sustainable solutions to Istanbul’s transport problem.

>> Learn more about EMBARQ's work in Istanbul