In Alanya, the municipality's debt seems endless, no matter how much is paid off
At a meeting with taxi drivers in Alanya, Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik stated that they would ensure the order and regulation of taxis, saying, “Let’s set the rules together and work according to them. This way, honest business owners won’t suffer, and our citizens will be satisfied.”
The meeting, organized by the Alanya Drivers, Haulers, and Carriers Tradesmen Chamber, was attended by Alanya Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik, Deputy Mayor Hasan Servet Ünlü, Mayor’s Advisors Sadık Dizdaroğlu, Faruk Konukçu, and Nazmi Zavlak, Chamber President Ali Akkaya, Truckers Cooperative President Mustafa Ünal, Municipal Council Members, and tradespeople.
AKKAYA: THE MAYOR IS FULFILLING HIS PROMISE ABOUT THE TRUCK GARAGE
Chamber President Ali Akkaya expressed their great pleasure in hosting Mayor Özçelik, saying, “There are 883 taxi drivers in Alanya, which is about 1% of the country’s taxi drivers. Of course, we have some problems. Today we will discuss these with our mayor. To avoid having trucks parked all over the city, we asked the mayor for a truck garage. He has initiated the work on this and is closely involved in the issue. Our tradespeople will discuss their problems directly with the mayor today. In the future, we will meet with him regularly and consult. We thank him for this.”
MAYOR ÖZÇELİK: WE WILL DECIDE TOGETHER HOW TAXI SERVICES WILL BE OPERATED IN ALANYA
During the meeting, which was conducted as a consultation, Mayor Özçelik said, “From now on, we will meet with you, our valuable tradespeople, periodically. We are aware of your problems and requests. We are working closely with the chamber president to resolve them. First and foremost, we need to bring order to the taxi services. Some individuals may engage in inappropriate behavior. Therefore, we must designate a head for every taxi stand. Whoever is the head of a stand should be responsible for the actions of the other tradespeople and should put a stop to any wrongdoings. We will decide together how taxi services will be operated in Alanya, and we will implement those decisions. Let’s write down our decisions point by point, and everyone must follow them. Let’s also make decisions together about clothing, appearance, and hair. You know that we are completely restructuring our inspection units. Our traffic inspectors will monitor you. Those who do not use a taximeter or do not comply with the rules we have set will first be warned and then penalized. This way, honest tradespeople will not suffer, and our citizens will be happy.”
MAYOR ÖZÇELİK: WE NEED TO DISTRIBUTE TAXI STANDS MORE HOMOGENEOUSLY ACROSS THE CITY
Mayor Özçelik also pointed out that changes need to be made to the locations of taxi stands, saying, “For example, there is a taxi problem in neighborhoods like Mahmutlar. Some stands work on one day and are closed the next. This creates a general taxi problem. To solve this, we should distribute the stands more evenly across the city. If the locations of some stands are changed, there will be taxis where there were none, and taxi drivers in areas with high demand can earn more. If we do not solve this taxi need, someone else will fill the gap. Once it is filled, we will work to prevent overflow. You are all familiar with mobile apps for taxi services. These apps can help address the gap. Discuss among yourselves and inform us so we can take action accordingly.”
MAYOR ÖZÇELİK: WE CONTINUE OUR STRUGGLE FOR A DEBT-FREE MUNICIPALITY
Mayor Özçelik stated that they are aware that three to four taxi stands in Alanya do not have offices, saying, “Some of these stands could not be equipped with offices because of a lack of space. We will do this if we find a suitable place. Of course, there is also the financial aspect. Since we took office, we have implemented various savings measures, especially on fuel. We continue our struggle to make the municipality debt-free. We are working on long-term solutions and sustainable municipal services, not temporary ones. Our Mayor of Antalya, Muhittin Böcek, has given us full authority to establish order and discipline here and has allocated a large investment budget for Alanya. We must all work together to establish this order.” Mayor Özçelik then listened to the taxi drivers’ questions and took notes.
