11.06.2026 11:20
The chronic traffic congestion in Istanbul, combined with disruptions in public transportation and endless roadworks, brings life in the megacity to a near standstill for its residents. Footage recorded by a driver stranded in traffic for hours summed up the scale of the transportation crisis: A driver who set off from Kartal revealed that it took 167 minutes to reach the 15 July Martyrs Bridge.
In Istanbul, Turkey's largest metropolis in terms of population and economy, the transportation and traffic problem is becoming increasingly complex day by day. Broken-down IETT buses, disruptions on metrobus lines, ongoing infrastructure works on the roads, and accidents continue to turn the daily lives of Istanbulites into a ordeal.
TRAVELS ARE MEASURED IN HOURS
Especially during rush hours, vehicle queues stretching for kilometers form on the main arteries of the megacity, and traveling from one place to another is now measured in hours.
TRAFFIC ORDEAL DOES NOT CHANGE BETWEEN MORNING AND EVENING
The density experienced during peak hours in Istanbul has now spread to all hours of the day due to infrastructure deficiencies and the lack of alternative routes... Both citizens using public transport and drivers heading out with their private vehicles lose time in this endless congestion. Narrowed lanes due to road works and signaling problems only add fuel to the fire of traffic.
A DRIVER RECORDED THE ORDEAL
What most clearly reveals the current state of traffic is the footage recorded by a driver stranded in traffic with a mobile phone camera. The driver, who recorded the images, summarized the current situation of routes that should normally be completed in a much shorter time due to traffic with these words: "This is exactly the final state of traffic in Istanbul... Going from Kartal to Bostancı takes a full 100 minutes. If you want to go to the Bosphorus Bridge (15 July Martyrs Bridge), the time ahead of you is a full 167 minutes."