06.12.2025 17:44
It has been revealed that İSBİKE, which was launched to promote bicycle transportation in Istanbul, has not been in service for two years and that the bicycles have been sent to the junkyard. İBB officials pointed out that resources have been wasted and highlighted management deficiencies.
Many bicycles belonging to the Smart Bicycle Rental System (İSBİKE), which was launched to promote bicycle transportation in Istanbul and has not been in service for two years, were broken and turned into scrap in a junkyard area in Bayrampaşa.
İSBİKE APPLICATION PUT ON HOLD
The İSBİKE Project was initiated by İSPARK, a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), in 2012. The system, which has been intermittently operational due to integration, infrastructure, and maintenance processes, has not been in service for two years since the end of 2023, citing maintenance and repair activities.
MOBILE APPLICATION NOT IN SERVICE
As a result, the system's mobile application is not operational, and when trying to access the application, users encounter the message: "As of the end of 2023, the İSBİKE Bicycle Sharing System will be closed for maintenance and repair. During the days the system is closed, all system equipment, especially bicycles, will be overhauled, and maintenance, repair, and software updates will be carried out. Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you healthy days."
BICYCLES BROKEN AND TURNED INTO SCRAP
Residents of Istanbul have not been able to rent bicycles from this application, which was launched to promote bicycle transportation, for two years. Previously, the issue of bicycles belonging to the system being left idle in a junkyard area in Kartal Soğanlık was brought to the agenda, and now many bicycles have been broken and turned into scrap in the junkyard of the Levazım and Supply Directorate of IMM in Bayrampaşa. It was observed that the broken bicycles were stacked on top of each other among other scrap products in certain areas of the depot.
"ISTANBULITES' RESOURCES ARE NOW BEING TURNED INTO SCRAP"
Abdullah Aksu, a member of the IMM Transportation and Traffic Commission, told AA reporter that İSBİKE started its service with approximately 3,000 bicycles during the term of former IMM President Kadir Topbaş. Aksu explained that they began to bring this issue to the agenda starting in 2021, stating, "The system that served with approximately 3,000 bicycles is now nonexistent. In mid-2023, the CHP-led IMM made a statement saying, 'Bicycles will be collected for repair and maintenance and will be put back into service later.' Now we are almost in 2026. These bicycles have been missing for 2.5 years. Recently, we shared with the public that they were stored in a depot in Kartal, as we saw in the media. According to the latest images, we have received information that some of these bicycles have now been sent to the junkyard."
Aksu noted that the number of bicycles in the İSBİKE system decreased from 3,000 in 2021 to 1,100 in 2023, and continued, "Istanbulites' resources are now being turned into scrap. Of course, the CHP-led IMM management prefers to close systems that they cannot operate, just like in every other matter. As you may recall, when they first took office, they removed the wall decorations we call horizontal and vertical gardens, claiming that their maintenance was difficult. They destroyed many beauties in Istanbul.
"WE WILL CONTINUE TO QUESTION ISTANBULITES' RESOURCES"
At this point, they have essentially discarded and turned the bicycle sharing platform in Istanbul into scrap. In fact, it is not just the bicycles that have been scrapped, but also the management approach of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. We will continue to follow the waste of these resources belonging to Istanbulites, hold them accountable on every platform, and protect the rights and laws of Istanbul."
Aksu mentioned that they submit question proposals every year in the IMM Council regarding the İSBİKE system, stating, "We asked about the fate of these bicycles. Each time they said, 'They are under maintenance.' I repeat, there is something that Istanbulites especially need to know. The CHP-led IMM management has not been able to repair bicycles in 2.5-3 years. There is no other explanation for this. If you give a bicycle to a 12-year-old child, they would have it repaired within an hour. We see here that the CHP-led IMM management has not been able to repair a bicycle system in 2.5-3 years. This is, of course, a very painful situation for Istanbul and Istanbulites. It is a regrettable incident regarding the waste of their resources."