Istanbul taxi problem pits Gulf tourists against Turkey's locals
Turkish people have long blamed Arab tourists’ generous tips for the city’s cab shortage, but this may not be the case anymore.
Standing in Istanbul’s main Taksim Square, Abubakir raises his hand and a yellow taxi appears instantly. Happy to close a lucrative deal, the driver helps the family with their bags as Abubakir, his wife and their two kids take their seats for the ride. Meanwhile, a Turkish woman who has long been waiting for a taxi across the street stares and sighs furiously.
Taxi drivers picking up foreigners over local customers has long been a common scene in Istanbul’s tourist hotspots. Videos showing drivers not accepting Turkish customers and choosing Arabs over Turks have been prevalent on social media over the past months. A TikTok user went even further to prove the point, carrying empty luggage in order to look like a tourist while attempting to flag down a taxi.
Locals who are often denied rides see tourists, especially Arabs, as the scapegoat for Istanbul’s taxi shortage. The reason is simple: The shortage of cabbies makes drivers go on a demand-based approach in which they require higher fees despite a fixed rate per kilometer. While foreigners tend to pay up to tenfold the actual price and give big tips, locals struggling under a weakening Turkish lira stick to the fixed fares set by authorities.
Taxi time in Taksim #Istanbul🚕 pic.twitter.com/Ja3gvIUsr4
