Istanbul: More equitable access to the taxi system

In Istanbul, 1.7 million of the 32 million daily journeys are made by taxis. While the urban population has grown, the number of taxis (around 20k) remained stable since the 90s. Hence, the city faces a deficit in taxis while their integration in last mile transportation gains importance in order to reduce the need for private car ownership.

At the same time, compliancy issues reduce the service quality of the Istanbul taxi fleet. Taxi drivers tend to select passengers based on their own judgment and turn down many passengers (53.8%) as they prefer longer distance over short distances trips (6.9%) defined as trips up to 4.5km. Moreover, often tourists are prioritised over local residents due to the possibility to claim a higher price. A common trick pulled on non-local passengers is to make trips longer than necessary to charge a higher fee. As well, manipulation of the taximeter is a common practice.

All this leads to restricted accessibility to the taxi system, insecurity for the transport participants and ultimately to an inequitable mobility offering. To mitigate compliance and safety issues, taxis, as well as minibuses and buses are requested by law to have in-cabin cameras installed. A large amount of video material including time stamps and location data are available to the municipal transport authority. However, an automated solution to analyse the data in a privacy-compliant manner and to process complaints efficiently was lacking.