‘Over 5 Million People Went out in İstanbul in the First Week of Normalization’

* Photo: Mehmet Eser - Anadolu Agency (AA) / İstiklal Avenue, Taksim

The Statistical Office of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality has released a Transport Bulletin for May, which also shares figures and statistics about the first week of normalization in Turkey as of June 1.

The bulletin compares the figures before March 11, when the first case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was confirmed in Turkey, and those in April and May, when rather strict lockdown measures were in place.

The Statistical Office has prepared the bulletin based on the number of vehicles captured by sensors of Transportation Management Center (UYM), public transportation figures obtained from the TUHİM and the mobility data provided by the Transportation Main Plan.

Almost 5.5 million people on the streets

According to the figures shared in the bulletin, in the last week of May, 16.1 percent of İstanbul's population went out on the streets. In the last week of April, the number of people on the streest of İstanbul increased by 30.4 percent and was calculated as 20.1 percent. As for May, 23.8 percent of İstanbul's population went out amid pandemic.

When the number of people who went out in the first week of normalization, namely from June 1 to June 5, is compared with the figures in May, it has increased by 44.9 percent and became 5,343,611 people.

Use of public transportation has risen by 67.8 percent

According to the Statistical Office of the İMM, 1 million 289 thousand 244 people used public transportation with their "smart tickets" from May 4 to May 8. This figure decreased by 2.5 percent in May 25-29 and was calculated as 1 million 256 thousand 347 people.

As of May 29, the number of passages in public transportation increased by 67.8 percent and became 2 million 168 thousand 866. This increase was 78 percent among the ones aged 60 and over. That is, while the average number of passengers aged 60 and over on May 4-8 was 41,793, this figure was calculated as 74,484 passages on May 29.

When the same calculation was done for the İstanbulites with disabilities, while the average number of their passages was 52,694 on May 4-8, it increased by 45.4 percent and became 76.611 on May 29.

111.2 percent increase in daily passages

Similarly, as of May 29, the number of daily passages in public transportation has increased by 111.2 percent in comparison with March 31.

While the number of passages a day was 1.024.248 as of March 31, when the outbreak has already been in Turkey, this figure was calculated as 2.162.886 passages on May 29.

Traffic intensity index in May: 13

According to the figures of the municipality, in May 2020, the traffic intensity index in the city dropped by 58 percent when compared with the pre-pandemic period and was calculated as 13.

This index was 30 in February and 21 in March, or more precisely, 31 before the pandemic and 16 after. With the curfew and lockdown measures in effect amid pandemic, it was 10 in April and 13 in May.

Number of vehicles on main arterial roads

When the number of vehicles in main arterial roads is considered, the highest number in April was recorded between April 13 and 17 with 1,461 vehicles in an hour on average, the figure was observed on May 11-15 with an average of 1,888 vehicles in an hour.

This figure decreased by 25.9 percent in May and was recorded as 1,362 vehicles from May 11 to 15. (SD)